The Rabbitohs are reportedly set to part ways with assistant coaches Sam Burgess and John Morris amidst drama with star fullback Latrell Mitchell and five-eighth Cody Walker.
As per The Sydney Morning Herald, the decision for the club to reportedly part ways with the duo came after the publication reported that Burgess and Morris tried to hold Jason Demetriou accountable for the treatment of stars Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker as he has failed to hold them to the same standards as the rest of the roster.
This comes after an abysmal performance against the Knights last weekend which saw Latrell Mitchell sin-binned and rubbed out for next week's clash against the Sydney Roosters in what will be a do-or-die showdown for a top-eight finals position.
Their reported departure means that Ben Hornby will be the lone assistant coach at the club for the remainder of the year.
While Sam Burgess was always going to depart the Rabbitohs at the end of the year to take up the head coaching role with the Warrington Wolves overseas, the departure of John Morris is further indication that he will join the Wests Tigers in 2024- a club he was previously linked.
A former 300-game NRL hooker, Morris coached the Sharks between 2019 and 2021 before working as an assistant coach at the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Highly regarded for his rugby league knowledge and the way he works with players in rugby league circles, his deal at Redfern expires at the end of this year.
The Herald also reported that they tried to contact Burgess, Morris and Souths officials on Tuesday afternoon but were unsuccessful in doing so. The publication reports that the two assistant coaches had their phones switched off, while club officials didn't respond to the calls made.
I’m sort-of surprised Shane Flanagan hasn’t picked up the phone to John Morris, given their time together at Cronulla, and the absence of any reports claiming they found it hard to work together.