After a gutsy outing that ended in their fifth loss of the season South Sydney players are still fighting for coach Jason Demetriou, says Rabbitohs playmaker Cody Walker.
Torn apart by injuries and left with only one man on the bench for the second half, the Rabbitohs turned in their most spirited performance of the season on Saturday against Cronulla. Despite being down 28-12 after 67 minutes, Souths rallied, scoring twice to cut the lead to six points with five minutes remaining.
But their 34-22 defeat was their fifth loss in six games to start the year, leaving the proud club last on the ladder ahead of next week’s bye and without their star fullback Latrell Mitchell for matches against ladder-leading Melbourne and premiers Penrith.
South Sydney officials had conceded they may need to do some “hard thinking” if the embattled side did not show more determination against Cronulla.
But with captain Cameron Murray unable to return to the field after a HIA in the first half, and close to $4 million in talent on the sidelines, Walker insisted the players were still putting in the effort for Demetriou.
“We always try and go out there and fight for the jersey and fight for the coach,” Walker said. “We’ve got tremendous respect for JD and how much work he puts in. We wanted to show that tonight. I thought we did that.
“The scoreline probably doesn’t reflect the tightness in the game. But you can see the effort and the energy.”
While Murray should return from his concussion for Souths’ next game against Melbourne on April 25, Tyrone Munro (collarbone) and Tevita Tatola (foot) remain in serious doubt.
It’s also questionable whether Demetriou will be still there on Anzac Day.
The Souths coach said on Saturday night he expected to hold onto his position, after a run that has brought just five wins in 19 games since his side topped the table last May. “Nobody’s told me otherwise,” Demetriou said last night.
The Rabbitohs’ defence remains a big issue - they have conceded 26 points or more in 15 of those games. Yet Demetriou said he was impressed by Saturday night’s effort.
“I can’t be prouder of the boys,” he said. “As a coach, what you want to do is turn up and fight for each other and fight for their jersey and show what the club means to them. We saw that tonight.”
Demetriou also offered an explanation for storming out of a press conference after 27 seconds on Friday, following four questions about his future.
The Souths coach had been subject to reports the club were eying off national coach Mal Meninga as a potential interim replacement for the rest of the year. However, last night Meninga denied he has been approached by Rabbitohs officials.
“I’m walking out to do a press conference with the noise that’s going on and the things that have been said and done,” Demetriou said. “There’s no real point me standing there answering questions about it. It doesn’t serve any purpose for the players, it doesn’t serve any purpose for me.
“So I said what I needed to say and I ended the interview.”