Jai Arrow to make symbolic Souths return as NRL grants special dispensation for 100th club game
Will get a rare final run in South Sydney colours this week, with the NRL approving a one-off rule change that allows the. Jai Arrow — full details here.
Jai Arrow will get a rare final run in South Sydney colours this week, with the NRL approving a one-off rule change that allows the Rabbitohs forward to take the field in the opening seconds of the next two rounds and reach 100 games for the club. The gesture, cleared by the league and the Rugby League Players Association, comes after Arrow’s playing career was cut short earlier this year by motor neurone disease.
The Rabbitohs will use the arrangement in their Round 26 trip to face the Gold Coast Titans and again in Round 27 against the Sydney Roosters. Arrow will start both matches, be substituted almost immediately, and still be credited with the appearances needed to bring his South Sydney tally to 100.
A farewell on Arrow’s terms
South Sydney asked the NRL, the RLPA and the Club Consultation Committee for permission to let Arrow “play” two more matches while he was still physically able to walk or run onto the field. The league agreed to special dispensation, including an extra player on the team list and an additional interchange option so the substitution can happen straight away.
It is an unusual setup, but one shaped by a hard reality. Arrow retired in May after his motor neurone disease diagnosis, ending a career that had already featured 178 NRL matches, a 2021 grand final appearance and 12 State of Origin games for Queensland. He had played 98 times for South Sydney since joining for the 2021 season.
Milestone with emotional weight
The coming appearances mean Arrow will reach 180 career games and become only the 66th player in South Sydney’s long first-grade history to reach 100 matches for the club. He will lead the Rabbitohs out on both occasions and then sit on the interchange bench in club kit after being replaced.
The matches also add a full-circle touch. One of them comes against the Titans, one of Arrow’s former clubs, before the Roosters clash at Allianz Stadium. For South Sydney, the milestone is about more than a number. It is a way to give a veteran forward recognition while he can still step onto the turf himself.
Support from league and players
The Rabbitohs said the idea was put forward to let Arrow receive the recognition he deserves as a stalwart of the club and a valuable contributor to the NRL and representative football over the past decade. South Sydney chief executive Blake Solly praised NRL boss Peter V’landys and RLPA chief Clint Newton for backing the request.
The league and the club have also used Arrow’s story to raise awareness around motor neurone disease through various initiatives this year. Earlier in the season, his emotional tearful embrace with his partner Berina and daughter Ayla before Souths met Brisbane at Accor Stadium drew widespread attention.
Now the focus shifts to the field, briefly and symbolically. After the referee’s whistle in each game, Arrow will take his place, then step off again almost at once. That short walk will complete a milestone that looked out of reach only months ago.
