NRL star and former Queensland enforcer Jai Arrow has retired from rugby with immediate effect on medical grounds.
The 30-year-old was visibly emotional at a press conference to announce the devastating news.
Tears welled up as the South Sydney man held his head in his hands as a statement was read out regarding his health status.
He was joined at the press conference by chief executive Blake Solly and head coach Wayne Bennett.
The two were incredibly complimentary of their player, and asked for privacy for the star.
Despite what is clearly a sad time for Arrow, his family and everyone at the club, Bennett was able to draw a smile and a laugh from the man from New South Wales.
Wayne Bennett was able to draw a laugh out of Jai Arrow despite his heartbreaking announcement as he joked about the 30-year-old being the Rabbitoh’s sixth captain last season
It was a great moment of levity in what was an emotional press conference as Arrow announced his retirement from the sport due to a motor neurone disease diagnosis
Bennett also committed to keeping Arrow around the team despite the diagnosis
There is clearly a high level of respect between the pair as Bennett joked, ‘If you look at his football ability, he’s not what you’d call a natural.
‘So to achieve what he has achieved, he’s played origin, he’s captained the club here, he was the sixth captain here last year.
‘But he made it to that place and no one tried harder than he did last year, yeah he’ll fight and that’s why he’s here today.’
That broke the tearful mood at the press conference as Jai and the room broke out in laughter.
Prior to that joke, Bennett expressed his deep respect for a player whose career he’s had a massive hand in, ‘It’s been a great pleasure to be a part of this man’s life.
‘2015 when I came back to Brisbane, to the Broncos he was playing in the under 21s and I suggested to him he started moving into the NRL.
‘He had an opportunity to go to the Titans as we were pretty stacked up at the Broncos at the time, and I thought that he was a really valuable person and player and he should and would play a lot of NRL and I suggested he should go to the Titans and he did.
‘I got the opportunity to come here and coach at South Sydney and one of the first players I signed when I came to South Sydney was Jai.
‘[He’s] a wonderful young man to be part of the football club, he has all of the attributes that makes good footballers.
‘I see some of his teammates here today, as well, like all of us, we can’t believe what’s happened to him but the fact is it’s happened and he has to call it time.
‘But what he does know is he has the support of everyone in the changing room and the support of everyone on the staff, and he will need that but we will always be here for him.
‘He gives so much and the club means a lot to him as well. We are here today to make sure it’s done properly, everyone keeps asking “where is Jai? When is he going to come back” and he deserves all the accolades and support he can get.
Bennett also went on to say that Arrow will always have a place at the club despite the devastating diagnosis, ‘It’s not what you want, I’ve got goosebumps running through me now just being here.
‘It’s the last way you want someone to retire but it is what it is he’s handling great and he’s helping us handle it better as well.
‘He’s been able to maintain coming to training and while he hasn’t been doing the training loads the other lads have he’s still doing lots of training, and he can keep coming and we’ll take him on trips away we don’t need to cut him loose, we need him here with us.’
