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Souths hardman retires due to MND diagnosis
Darren Walton, AAP • May 20th, 2026 3:58 pm
Jai Arrow has played his last NRL game after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease | Photo: James Gourley/AAP
South Sydney and former Queensland State of Origin enforcer Jai Arrow will retire from the NRL immediately after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
Souths chief executive Blake Solly revealed the devastating diagnosis on Wednesday.
Only 30 years old, Arrow has played 98 games for the Rabbitohs since Wayne Bennett lured the classy forward to the club in 2021 after handing the then-20-year-old his first-grade debut at Brisbane a decade ago.
Arrow also had four seasons at Gold Coast following his two-season stint at the Broncos and played 12 games for Queensland between 2018 and 2023.
Jai Arrow played played 178 NRL games and 98 of those in Souths colours | Photo: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
He helped the Maroons win series in 2020, 2022 and 2023 while also playing in the Rabbitohs' 2021 grand final loss to Penrith.
Arrow's diagnosis comes two and a half years after former Maroons hardman Carl Webb died of MND aged 42.
The rugby league world was also rocked by Western Suburbs, Balmain and North Sydney great Scott Gale died of the debilitating condition at just 39 in 2004.
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