A Tribute to Jai Arrow’s Strength and Courage
South Sydney captain Cameron Murray has expressed deep admiration for Jai Arrow, highlighting his remarkable strength and courage following Arrow’s decision to retire due to a diagnosis of motor neurone disease (MND). Arrow, a former Queensland State of Origin forward, recently shared the news of his condition and was visibly emotional when announcing his immediate retirement. His journey in rugby league, which saw him play for Brisbane, Gold Coast, and ultimately finish his career alongside Murray at Souths, has been met with widespread support from across the sport.
“There’s no better bloke and we’re all behind him,” Murray said 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.”
Fans and several high-profile players have launched an online campaign urging the NRL to introduce a ‘Try for Jai’ initiative to support Arrow in his battle against the disease. This campaign would mirror the NRL’s previous “Try July” initiative, where players’ post-try celebrations were rewarded with donations to charity.
“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,” said NSW hooker Blayke Brailey. “Hopefully the NRL and the clubs can sort something out because I think that’ll be an amazing initiative for him.”
Murray emphasized Arrow’s heroics during his time at Souths, particularly over recent seasons when he played through injury. He praised the incredible strength Arrow displayed in the face of such a challenging disease.
“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.”
Murray was speaking from Gosford on the NSW Central Coast, where the Rabbitohs lock has been in camp with the Blues ahead of Wednesday’s State of Origin series opener. The 28-year-old forward missed all of last year’s campaign due to injury and has been named to start on the bench alongside long-time Sydney Roosters adversary and fellow tough nut lock Victor Radley.
“I’ve known Rads for a long time since we were little kids really, we played against each other since U8s or 9s – and most of my (NRL) career,” Murray said. “I think I’ve only played one or two games with him in a rep jersey and most of our career we’ve been playing against each other and I’ve had a lot of respect for Victor and what he’s been able to achieve.”
“With the type of footy he plays, I don’t think I’d be alone in saying that he’s built for an arena like this.”
