Jai Arrow led the South Sydney Rabbitohs out for his 100th game for the club on Friday night, three months after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease, in an emotion-charged match against the Sydney Roosters at Allianz Stadium. The Rabbitohs won the game 50-20, but the night belonged to Arrow, who walked onto the field as captain to a standing ovation from more than 40,000 fans.
A century of games and a battle with MND
Arrow, who played every one of the Rabbitohs' 25 matches in 2025, was unable to run and struggled to speak as his motor neurone disease takes hold. He laughed and cried, two human reflexes he says are interchangeable as the disease progresses. The NRL changed its interchange rules to allow Arrow to play his centenary match.
Flanking his slow advance was a corridor of club legends and former teammates flown in for the occasion. The crowd sang "Stand By Me" and "You'll Never Walk Alone," a song now synonymous with Arrow's battle with the disease.
An emotional night for the NRL
Arrow's diagnosis, announced in the first chill of winter, hit the NRL world hard. At the press conference announcing his diagnosis, Arrow was too overcome with symptoms and emotion to speak, sitting stunned and weeping next to coach Wayne Bennett as CEO Blake Solly read a statement where Arrow vowed to fight as long and hard as possible for wife Berina and one-year-old daughter Ayla.
This week, Arrow told Triple M: "I know realistically that my daughter won't be able to see her dad play again, but I have a choice to make sure that: one, I'm around, and two, I'm a good father to her and a good husband. I refuse to feel sorry for myself and I'll never show any weakness. It's not my personality. Don't worry about me."
A famous victory and a lasting tribute
When Arrow retired in June, Souths' season could have crumbled, but teammate Sean Keppie vowed: "Everything we do now this year is for that man." Led by returning star Latrell Mitchell, the Rabbitohs beat their old enemies the Roosters 50-20 to win a home final.
Bennett said simply: "He needs us, but we need him too." Arrow's illness is still an arrow to the heart, but something much bigger has taken flight.
