Jai Arrow medically retired after MND diagnosis

South Sydney Rabbitohs forward Jai Arrow has announced his immediate retirement from the NRL.

Arrow played 178 games across his NRL career at the Broncos, Titans, and Rabbitohs.

The 30-year-old forward announced his retirement at a press conference on Wednesday morning, citing a neurological condition.

Arrow said: “Thank you for the support I’ve received over what has been an incredibly difficult and uncertain period in my life.

“After extensive medical testing and consultations regarding ongoing symptoms, I have recently received a diagnosis relating to a nerve and neurological condition. Further tests, specialist reviews and medical processes are still ongoing, and my doctors are continuing to assess my condition.

“Over recent months, my symptoms have affected different parts of my everyday life.

“On medical advice, I am not currently medically cleared to train or play at the required level, and I will be stepping away from those duties while I focus fully on my health, treatment, and rehabilitation.

“I want to sincerely thank everyone at the South Sydney Rabbitohs for the personal support they have shown me and my family throughout this process. The South Sydney Rabbitohs, my teammates, staff, and everyone behind the scenes have made an incredibly hard situation much easier to face.

“To my teammates, thank you for treating me exactly the same every single day. Within minutes of walking through the doors, most of you are still making me laugh with the usual banter, and honestly, I wouldn’t want it any other way.

“To my family and closest mates, thank you for standing beside me through all of this. I know the road ahead won’t be easy, but anyone who knows me knows I’m competitive, stubborn, and ready to fight this with everything I’ve got.

“What I need right now isn’t sympathy or sadness. What I need is support, understanding, and privacy while my family and I navigate this difficult time.

“This is only part of my story, and when the time is right, I’ll share more. But for now, I ask everyone to respect my privacy while I continue working with my doctors and my family.”

He had not played a game this year following ongoing problems with his shoulder.

The forward played 12 Origin matches for Queensland.