Cowboys assistant coach David Furner has emerged as the man to help Michael Maguire halt the alarming slide at Souths as they try to lure the former Raiders head coach to Redfern.

A day after Furner's old club handed out a humiliating 50-point hiding to the Rabbitohs, Fairfax Media understands the 2014 premiers are circling Furner to be the centrepiece of a backroom shake-up for Maguire.

Current assistants Kurt Wrigley and Wayne Collins are unlikely to serve under Maguire next season and Furner has been targeted as the No.1 priority to help the premiership-winning coach return the steel to the embattled club.

Maguire, who is under contract until the end of 2017, is considered to be on safe ground for next year despite the Rabbitohs slumping to their eighth straight loss on the weekend, having long tumbled out of finals contention.