Jai Arrow has run out for his 100th and final game for South Sydney as he continues his battle with motor neuron disease (MND).
A wave of emotion swept through Allianz Stadium on Friday night as Arrow led the Rabbitohs out onto the field ahead of their clash with arch rivals Sydney, less than four months after his terminal diagnosis forced him into retirement.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Jai Arrow walks out for courageous milestone at South Sydney
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South Sydney and the NRL announced last month they would grant him special dispensation to take the field for the opening kickoff two final times, with the Rabbitohs given an extra substitute and player on the bench.
Last week, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house as the 31-year-old walked out for his 99th appearance to the iconic anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone, the song made famous by English Premier League team Liverpool, ahead of the Rabbitohs’ clash with Gold Coast.
In the final round of the NRL season on Friday night, Arrow officially reached his 100-game club milestone as he walked out to the tune of Stand By Me by Ben E. King, before it changed back to You’ll Never Walk Alone again, in an emotional farewell.
The packed crowd stood as one to applaud as Arrow held back tears entering the arena for one final time.
Jai Arrow thanks the crowd during his 100th and final game. Credit: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images
Arrow got out to the middle in the line with his teammates before being subbed off and embracing coach Wayne Bennett in tears on the sidelines.
“A moment you will never ever, ever, ever forget. A moment no one witnessing this will forget,” Dan Ginnane said on Fox Sports.
“Could you think of anyone better than Wayne Bennett to be there for that moment? And all his brothers, all his brothers.
“South Sydney and Eastern Suburbs — there have been 236 games between these clubs. There’s never been one like this.”
Cooper Cronk added: “Jai Arrow, we stand with you tonight. The legacy of rugby league is strong, but what you’ve done for MND — huge respect.”
It’s Arrow’s 180th game in total, having had stints at Brisbane and Gold Coast before arriving at the Rabbitohs.
Speaking ahead of Friday night’s game, Arrow admitted he was feeling the weight of the occasion.
“Yeah. Pretty nervous,” he told Sunrise.
But the 31-year-old said the extraordinary response from rugby league fans and the wider community had meant a great deal to him.
“Everything all along has been unreal. I’m really looking forward to tonight.”
Rabbitohs chief executive Blake Solly told Sunrise Arrow continued to inspire everyone around him.
“You’ve just seen the courage and the character and the measure of Jai and all the things that he does every day to inspire us here at the club, and inspire our members and inspire our community,” he said.
“We just want him to celebrate those last moments. He gets to run out with his teammates and enjoy the adoration that he’s well earned from our fans and our members and everyone in that stadium tonight.”
Solly said Arrow deserved “every minute of those accolades” as he faced the devastating diagnosis with immense courage.
“That diagnosis in May was terrible, really, for everyone at the club, but most importantly for Jai and Berina and his beautiful daughter Ayla,” he said.
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