LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
Souths coach Jason Demetriou has expressed his disappointment with the turmoil that has engulfed the club but has taken full responsibility for their historic late season collapse.
The Rabbitohs' recent 26-12 loss to their fierce rivals, the Sydney Roosters, has resulted in them becoming the first team in NRL history to lead the competition after 11 rounds and miss out on the finals.
In the first half of the season, Demetriou's men were considered one of the top contenders for the premiership, but since May, they have only managed to win four out of 13 games, ultimately falling out of finals contention.
Interestingly, Friday night's defeat against the Roosters was only the second time this season that the Bunnies found themselves outside the top eight.
This record collapse comes after a tumultuous few weeks for the club, starting with the shocking departure of assistant coach Sam Burgess and the controversy surrounding star player Latrell Mitchell.
Mitchell, in particular, faced harsh criticism from Rodney Churchill, the son of Rabbitohs legend Clive, who labeled him a "cancer" on the club.
This statement caused shock and outrage within the rugby league community.
Mitchell's involvement in the messy Burgess saga added further fuel to the fire, as reports suggest that Burgess left his role as assistant coach due to his dissatisfaction with the perceived preferential treatment given to Mitchell and Cody Walker at the club.
It is believed that Burgess stood firm on his belief that the club's standards were not up to par, leading to his departure.