A New Initiative for Jai Arrow
Tom Burgess, a former teammate of Jai Arrow at the South Sydney Rabbitohs, has called on the National Rugby League (NRL) to introduce a fundraising initiative he’s named ‘Try for Jai’. The rugby league community was deeply affected by the news that Arrow had been medically retired due to a diagnosis of motor neurone disease (MND).
Mark Burgess, the father of four brothers including Tom, passed away from MND, and his son’s campaign has already gained support from the Rugby League Players’ Association (RLPA). The RLPA chief, Clint Newton, confirmed that the organization would “absolutely get behind” the proposal and is working with Arrow and his family to offer support.
The NRL’s annual Try July promotion, which was sponsored by Sportsbet, was canceled for 2026 after pushback from clubs involved in anti-gambling partnerships or those sponsored by rival bookmakers. During the promotion, Sportsbet donated $5,000 for every try scored in July.
“If Try July is gone, why not have Try For Jai?” Burgess told The Sydney Morning Herald. “You don’t need a sports betting agency backing it. Everyone should come together to support it and raise money. And why only keep it to July? Why not keep it going the rest of this year?”
Burgess added, “If you were going to give this challenge to anyone, Jai is the one who will take it head-on. Just the way he is. I know he will do it with a smile on his face. He’s already kept his sense of humour.”
“I spoke to Jai … he doesn’t want us feeling bad for him. But raising awareness about MND is the key.”
Elsewhere, the Australian swimwear brand Budgy Smugglers, of which Arrow was a long-time ambassador, announced that all proceeds from sales in its NRL collection this weekend would be donated to Arrow and his family.
A Community United in Support
On Thursday, South Sydney coach Wayne Bennett revealed that the Rabbitohs playing group had not been informed of the sad news until just before Wednesday’s press conference. “Jai is with us all the time…they (players) know he’s been not well because they’ve seen him here and he hasn’t been able to train,” Bennett said on Triple M’s The Rush Hour with Dobbo & Elliott.
“The final diagnosis came through … that means his playing career is over. We’ll have a meeting, I didn’t tell the players up until (Wednesday) because I thought … we just wanted to handle this properly from our end and make sure the media didn’t go crazy about it.”
In an interview on 9News with Danika Mason, which aired on Wednesday night, Arrow showed clear signs of decline, particularly in his speech. His former Broncos teammate Sam Thaiday said watching the interview “hurt his heart”.
“This is an absolutely shocking diagnosis,” Thaiday said on Nine’s Today. “I know the rugby league community, they’ll be getting right behind Jai. I know Jai Arrow as well … he’s a fighter, he’s not going to back down, he’s going to do every trial he can. Anything that he can do to prolong his life, he is going to have a crack.”
Queensland coach Billy Slater extended an invitation for Arrow to join Queensland camp before State of Origin I, showing the deep respect the rugby league community has for him.
A Legacy of Strength and Resilience
Kalyn Ponga, Queensland fullback, echoed similar sentiments. “It’s terrible news, it’s definitely been spoken about in this camp. I played a lot of footy against Jai and he’s one of those guy you didn’t want to play against because he was so passionate and played aggressively but after the game you wanted to have a beer with him.”
Queensland legend Allan Langer added, “Queensland will get behind him and hopefully go out and play the way that Jai loved playing for Queensland.”
Rabbitohs chief executive Blake Solly said the club had been “overwhelmed” by the entire NRL community with offers of support for Arrow. Other NRL clubs, fans, and notable figures such as Andrew Abdo and Peter V’landys had all offered to help in any way they could.
A Global Fight Against MND
Several players from both rugby codes have died from MND in recent years. Carl Webb, a former Queensland player, died of MND at 42 in 2023, while Rob Burrow, a former England league halfback, passed away in 2024 at the age of 41. Doddie Weir, a former Scotland rugby union international, died in November 2022, and Lewis Moody, a World Cup-winning former England international, was diagnosed in September 2025.
Motor Neurone Disease is an umbrella term for the breakdown of nerve cells called motor neurons, which are responsible for carrying messages from the brain to the muscles via the spinal cord. In an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald, Macquarie University Professor Dominic Rowe explained that 10 per cent of MND cases are caused by faulty genes, while the other 90 per cent are linked to environmental factors.
Jai’s Determination
In a 9News interview, Arrow revealed he “laughed” when given the diagnosis. He vowed he was “ready to fight”. “I do really have a lot. Nothing is gonna take me out easy. I wanna do everything I can – any trial, any medication that will maintain me for as long as I can,” he said.
Solly said that reaction would not come as any surprise to those who know him. “Everyone who knows Jai knows what a character he is … he wants to be an inspiration for everyone who’s been diagnosed.”
