South Sydney Rabbitohs head coach Wayne Bennett has revealed that initial warning signs regarding Jai Arrow's health were detected as early as December, a full six months before the 30-year-old's devastating motor neurone disease diagnosis was announced to the public.
Arrow's condition sent shockwaves through the rugby league community when it was confirmed on May 20, with the resilient forward disclosing that the incurable and fatal illness has already begun to affect his speech abilities.
Bennett explained that concerns first arose just before Christmas last year as Arrow prepared for the upcoming season. 'Jai was noticing some changes to himself. He couldn't hold the ball properly and didn't have any strength in one of his arms,' the veteran coach told News Corp. 'He could hold the ball, but he wasn't gripping it properly. In the weights room, he found himself not as strong as he had been.'
The Rabbitohs mentor detailed how the club managed the situation: 'Something wasn't right. He kept training with us, but we took him out of contact sessions. We thought maybe he had a shoulder injury and that's when the process started, to find out what was going on with his body. We kept it pretty tight, even within the club. But the boys [Arrow's teammates] were starting to see the deterioration in him. A few came to me and said, 'Is Jai OK?''
South Sydney captain Cameron Murray paid tribute to his teammate while preparing for the State of Origin opener for New South Wales on Wednesday. 'There's no better bloke and we're all behind him,' Murray stated on Saturday. 'We all love him, so we'll be there with him through this fight. It's cruel, life can be pretty cruel sometimes.'
An online campaign has gained momentum, backed by several high-profile players, urging the NRL to launch a 'Try for Jai' initiative to support Arrow, who is a father to a young daughter. The NRL previously ran a 'Try July' program where players' post-try celebrations generated charitable donations.
NSW hooker Blayke Brailey expressed support for the idea: 'I think that would be a great initiative, if we can all do our part and help out in some small or big capacity. I would love to get on board with that. Hopefully the NRL and the clubs can sort something out because I think that'll be an amazing initiative for him.'
Murray highlighted Arrow's contributions to the Rabbitohs, particularly his willingness to play through injury in recent seasons. 'Over the last couple of months he's shown an incredible amount of strength with what he's been going through,' Murray said. 'The strength that he's shown in the face of such a cruel disease has been amazing. He's definitely left his mark on rugby league for sure and particularly since he got to the club in 2021 he's left his mark on all of us. We're all better people for knowing Jai and we're all right behind him and it's really good to see the support that he's got.'
