South Sydney Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou and (inset) David Furner.
“He’s got a very particular style of coaching and when he talks,everyone listens. He grabs a room when he talks. All the eyes and ears are focused on him. He’s going to be great for us.”
No team has a worse defensive record in the NRL this season than South Sydney. The Rabbitohs are conceding almost 33 points per game. As Demetriou pushed a theme of not carrying divots to his players during training,Furner has come to fill the porous holes that have led to the Rabbitohs’ predicament.
While Mitchell’s voice could be heard over all others as he urged his teammates on during training,the quietest man on the park kept making mental notes,regularly assessing from behind the defensive line.
“He’s calm,but very precise in what he’s doing,” halfback Dean Hawkins said. “He’ll touch on more as the season goes on,but there’s a lot of focus on our defensive work and our wrestle[since he’s come in].”
On Anzac Day,the Rabbitohs will start a difficult stretch in which they face the Storm at AAMI Park before hosting three-time premiers Penrith and then taking on the improving Dragons.
Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy was a game-week ally for Demetriou,given the intense speculation about his future. Furner has been a sounding board for many young coaches as an assistant over the years,but getting the best out of the Rabbitohs – and Demetriou - could prove his toughest task.
“I feel for the guys when they do come under that sort of pressure because I know how quickly things deteriorate if you get some injuries and things don’t go your way,” Bellamy told theBig Sports Breakfast Weekend.
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“There’s little whispers go around,and it can be very hard and very distracting. You need to be narrow-focused and focus on what you need to do.”
That’s where Furner comes in – and he might help a coach keep his job.
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