NRL furnace forges Rabbits’ unsung hero as Demetriou extension looms

The Rabbitohs’ biggest guns will step out on Saturday in 35-degree summer heat with unassuming No.7 Lachlan Ilias well-placed to lead them after a rookie season alternating between the frypan and the fire.

South Sydney and St George Illawarra will field near full-strength line-ups for the 40th edition of the Charity Shield in Mudgee on Saturday, with stars such as Latrell Mitchell, Cody Walker, Damien Cook and Cameron Murray slated for 50-60 minute hit-outs in brutal bush conditions.

Ilias, too, steps out for his first game of 2023 after an impressive debut campaign replacing Redfern royalty Adam Reynolds at the scrum base.

This time last year he was staring down that task with a solitary NRL game to his name, while his last start against the Dragons in May proved infamous after coach Jason Demetriou’s call to bench the young halfback.

In hindsight, it was a turning point for both Ilias and the Bunnies. The 22-year-old finished the season with a new contract, Andrew Johns’s backing as a playmaker of serious promise and the game’s “best defensive half” and for Demetriou, invaluable experience under the NRL microscope.

“Lachie finished the year in first grade looking really comfortable and knowing his role,” Demetriou told the Herald from Mudgee.

“He’s taken that on into this pre-season and he’s probably had a better summer. Just through the sheer amount of training he’s been able to do, last year he had a back surgery and that limited the reps we could get into him.

“But now he’s confident, he knows what the game’s about. The experiences all throughout last year have been really good for him and he’s looking good to improve his game again.”

For all the firepower Walker and Mitchell possess, Ilias has as much say in Souths’ attack and the backing to overcall the high-profile pair when needed.

His handling of being hooked against the Dragons impressed plenty at the club, as did Demetriou’s approach in ensuring it didn’t shatter his confidence.

Leading the Rabbitohs to last year’s preliminary final after an underwhelming start has also secured Demetriou’s tenure for 2024 as the club took up an option in his contract.

Happy days: Jason Demetriou’s bright start in charge of the Rabbitohs has a contract extension in the works.Credit:Getty Images

Another 12 months’ extension on top of that, locking Demetriou in for four years in charge until the end of 2025, has been discussed between Souths and his management for some time.

“There’s a lot of similarities between Jason and Lachie actually,” CEO Blake Solly said.

“They both had a lot of scrutiny on them last year and a lot of pressure from outside the club as they stepped into new roles and handled that really well.

“They’re both very calm and composed and when you look at how guys like Lachie and Davvy Moale have come into first grade, Jason’s been integral to that.

“We had our reward for Jason’s composure with a great finals run and we’re very happy with things, we’ll work through those [extension] talks over the next couple of months.”

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