Meninga tapped for Souths coaching job if axe falls

By WWOS staff

Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga is a shock candidate to replace the under-siege Jason Demetriou at South Sydney, reports The Sydney Morning Herald.

Demetriou is under increasing pressure to keep his job after the Rabbitohs' horror start to the season, with difficult games against the Sharks, Storm and Panthers coming either side of a bye over the next four weeks.

If Souths lose all three of those games and reach Magic Round with only one win under their belts there's a school of thought that Demetriou's goose will be cooked.

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Rabbitohs assistant coach Ben Hornby has been widely reported as the most likely interim coach for the remainder of 2024 if Demetriou is axed but Meninga has come into contention, according to the Herald report.

Sources reportedly told the Herald that a third party had reached out to Meninga to gauge his interest.

Should Meninga be keen on the role, the Australian Rugby League Commission would be called upon to give its blessing. Any perception of a conflict of interest would likely blow up negotiations at the first hurdle.

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Meninga, an Immortal, has only ever had one stint as a club coach, taking the reins for the Raiders between 1997 and 2001. He finished up with a 53 per cent winning record before joining elite status as a coach due to his near flawless tenure in charge of a rampant Queensland Origin side between 2006 and 2015.

He quit his Maroons coaching role a hero to take up the Kangaroos coaching job in 2016 and has been in charge of Australia's Test team ever since.