Under-pressure South Sydney Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou has swung the axe at the selection table and dumped veteran hooker Damien Cook for Saturday’s match against the Cronulla Sharks.
The Rabbitohs sit at the bottom of the ladder with a 1-4 record which has resulted in ongoing speculation surrounding the safety of Demetriou’s position as coach.
SEN’s Corey Parker understands the position that Demetriou finds himself in but believes dumping Cook is the wrong decision.
“It’s desperation stakes,” Parker said on SENQ.
“He’s trying to make a change but I don’t understand personally why he would drop Damien Cook.
“You are at the bottom of the ladder and you can’t just pin it on one guy.
“That seems to be what it is and he’s a representative and if (Demetriou) is dropping him because he’s trying to take a stance then it's a strange one for me.
“He’s showing the team why they’re not going well.
“It seems that all of a sudden Damien Cook is the reason why they’re not going well.
“Unfortunately, it seems like Demetriou’s days are numbered.”
There has been growing speculation that legendary coach Wayne Bennett could return to South Sydney in 2025 after his contract expires at the Dolphins.
Parker believes Bennett’s personable approach is exactly what the Bunnies need given the incessant rumours surrounding player favouritism at the club.
“Every player is different,” Parker added.
“When you are trying to achieve the same thing, it’s a delicate process and the one thing Wayne always did, if you were taking advantage of the situation, he’d pull you into line.
"He has a unique style (and) Wayne is good at (being) aman manager.
“He will treat people as individuals, not a team (and) get the most out of a team on game day.”
South Sydney hosts the Cronulla Sharks at Accor Stadium on Saturday night.