Rumour Mill: Shaun Wane and two Super League coaches touted as possible South Sydney candidates

England head coach Shaun Wane and Catalans boss Steve McNamara have been suggested as the latest candidates under consideration to succeed Jason Demetriou at South Sydney Rabbitohs in 2025, according to reports in Australia. 

Demetriou was sacked by Souths on Tuesday after a dismal start to the new NRL season which saw them win just one of their first seven games.

His assistant, Ben Hornby, has been placed in interim charge for the remainder of this season but the Sydney Morning Herald have revealed a long list of potential candidates – and it includes several familiar names to Super League fans.

Former St Helens coach Justin Holbrook, now assistant at Souths’ great rivals Sydney Roosters, is among them. Leigh Leopards coach Adrian Lam, who has already been linked with the role by NRL commentator Andrew Voss, is another – as are Wane and McNamara.

McNamara has been described as being on a five-man shortlist which is topped by another former England coach in Wayne Bennett.

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McNamara only signed a new two-year contract extensions with the Dragons at the beginning of this season, while Wane has made no secret of his desire to potentially coach England in the next World Cup in 2026.

Michael Maguire and Michael Cheika are also on that shortlist, with the report suggesting that Wane is a ‘left-field option’ along with Lam.

Souths great Sam Burgess, who is currently head coach at Warrington, is seen as an option to coach the Bunnies further down the line, with Burgess and the Wire repeatedly insisting he will see out his two-year contract at the Halliwell Jones Stadium as a minimum.

But the reports of two current Super League coaches and the England head coach being under consideration by Souths is bound to make the coming weeks interesting – with the club’s football manager, Mark Ellison, in England at present to tie up a deal to sign St Helens scrum-half Lewis Dodd for 2025.

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