Souths coach Jason Demetriou's 27-second press conference

On Friday, March 11, 2022, during a media conference following the South Sydney Rabbitohs' loss to the Manly Sea Eagles, their coach, Jason Demetriou, ended his session unexpectedly and abruptly after being questioned about his future with the team. The incident occurred just days after reports emerged suggesting that Demetriou could be sacked due to the Rabbitohs' poor start to the National Rugby League (NRL) season.

Demetriou had only been speaking for around 25 seconds before being asked about his job security. In response to a question regarding the team's performance and whether he was concerned about his position, he curtly replied, "I'm focused on the team, not myself." However, when another journalist followed up with a question about whether he had received any assurances from the club regarding his future, Demetriou appeared visibly frustrated and ended the conference, stating, "I've answered your question. I'm not going to discuss my contract."

The South Sydney Rabbitohs had lost five out of their first six games, which had put immense pressure on Demetriou and raised concerns among fans and media about his ability to lead the team. The team's poor form had also led to speculation that the club was considering bringing in a new coach to replace him.

Despite Demetriou's dismissive response to questions about his future, the Rabbitohs' board released a statement later that day, expressing their support for the coach and reiterating their confidence in him to turn the team's fortunes around. The statement read, "Jason has our full support and we are committed to working with him to improve our team's performance."

However, the incident at the media conference highlighted the growing tension between Demetriou and the media, as well as the intense scrutiny he was facing due to the team's poor performance. It remains to be seen how Demetriou will respond to this pressure and whether he will be able to lead the Rabbitohs to success in the remainder of the season.

In summary, South Sydney Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou ended a media conference after just 27 seconds when asked about his future with the team, following reports suggesting that he could be sacked due to the team's poor start to the NRL season. The incident occurred just days after the team had lost five out of their first six games, and the media were questioning Demetriou's ability to lead the team. Despite the club expressing their support for him, the incident highlighted the growing tension between Demetriou and the media, as well as the intense scrutiny he was facing due to the team's poor performance.