South Sydney Rabbitohs captain Cameron Murray has paid a heartfelt tribute to former teammate Jai Arrow, praising his strength and courage after Arrow was forced into retirement following a diagnosis of motor neurone disease (MND).
Arrow's public announcement
The 30-year-old former Queensland State of Origin forward, who played for the Brisbane Broncos, Gold Coast Titans, and finished his career alongside Murray at South Sydney, went public with his MND diagnosis earlier this week. He was visibly emotional as he announced his immediate retirement from rugby league, drawing an outpouring of support from across the sport.
Arrow, a father of one, has been widely commended for his bravery in sharing his diagnosis. Murray spoke on Saturday, saying, "There's no better bloke, and we're all behind him. We all love him, so we'll be there with him through this fight. It's cruel—life can be pretty cruel sometimes."
Online campaign for 'Try for Jai'
Fans have launched an online campaign, backed by several high-profile NRL players, urging the league to introduce a 'Try for Jai' initiative to support Arrow in his battle against the insidious disease. The NRL previously ran a 'Try July' campaign where players' post-try celebrations resulted in donations to charity. NSW hooker Blayke Brailey expressed his support: "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 reflects on Arrow's legacy
Murray highlighted Arrow's heroics on the field, particularly in recent seasons when he played through injury. "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. It's really good to see the support that he's got."
Murray's State of Origin camp
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 last year's campaign due to injury and has been named to start on the bench alongside long-time rival 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 under-8s 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. 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."
