Jai Arrow and Nathan Charles were honoured in emotional scenes at Sunday's NRL Grand Final, having both been diagnosed with motor neurone disease this year.
South Sydney Rabbitohs forward Arrow was forced to retire earlier this year, while ex-Wallaby Charles went public with his own diagnosis last week. The pair were honoured with an emotional lap at Sydney's Accor Stadium ahead of the weekend's final.
Emotional Tribute at Accor Stadium
Singer Amy Shark opened the pre-match show with a rendition of the Gerry and the Pacemakers hit, 'You'll Never Walk Alone', as Arrow and Charles were driven around the field.
The crowd at Accor Stadium all rose to their feet and made an arrow gesture in honour of the retired South Sydney star, similar to the celebration that several NRL stars have made throughout the season in honour of Arrow following his retirement in May.
Shark appeared close to tears as she sang, finishing the performance by hugging Arrow and Charles. “Thank you, forever,” Arrow was seen telling Nine’s cameras.
Diagnoses and Career Highlights
Arrow had revealed his diagnosis back in May. In recent weeks, the Rabbitohs, along with the NRL, had allowed him to take to the field twice in order to reach 100 appearances for the club before retiring.
As for Charles, the 37-year-old announced his own diagnosis last Thursday. The former hooker, who won four caps for the Wallabies after making his Test debut in 2014, was previously diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when he was just three years old, with doctors telling him he might not live past the age of 10.
Now, having matched the life expectancy of someone with cystic fibrosis, he has been dealt another devastating blow after noticing a decline in his health.
Praise and Awareness Efforts
NRL executive chairman Peter V’landys praised Arrow for unknowingly becoming a leader and inspiration for those who are battling terminal illnesses.
“What Jai Arrow has done is become a leader – and he doesn’t realise he has become a leader,” V’landys told 2GB’s The Continuous Call Team pre-game. “We’ve had correspondence to say that people who have diseases or a similar diagnosis to Jai with MND ... (their) inspiration is Jai.
“Jai is an inspiration for not only people with MND but people with terminal (conditions). We’ve received messages from people about how he has made them want to fight just like he is fighting.
V’landys added: “Nathan, he was a Wallaby, he is a hero in his own right. He had cystic fibrosis since he was a young boy and they didn’t expect him to live longer than 10. He has just been diagnosed with MND at 39.”
Arrow also vowed to continue raising awareness around MND, writing on Instagram: "Something special is coming. Last night was a reminder of just how incredible the rugby league community really is. The atmosphere leading into the Grand Final, and seeing everyone rally behind Nathan Charles, was something we’ll never forget.
"We made a promise to keep fighting — not just for our family, but for every family impacted by MND. Together with MND Australia, we’ve been quietly working on something incredible close to our hearts. This is only the beginning. For Nathan. For every family. For everyone fighting. F*ck MND."
It comes after Sir Kevin Sinfield admitted he would like to take his ultramarathon challenge, which has raised over £13m towards MND charities in the last six years, to Australia and New Zealand next year.
