SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS forward Jai Arrow has been diagnosed with motor neurone disease.

Arrow has announced his immediate retirement, having not played this year due to shoulder nerve damage.

The 30-year-old has made 98 appearances for the Rabbitohs since joining the club ahead of the 2021 NRL season, having previously played for Brisbane Broncos and Gold Coast Titans, and has represented Queensland twelve times in State of Origin, most recently in 2023.

Motor neurone disease is a life-shortening condition which damages the nervous system and weakens muscles, and has no known cure.

Leeds Rhinos and England great Rob Burrow was diagnosed with the disease in 2019, and died in 2024 after helping raise awareness and millions of pounds for MND causes.

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

“After extensive medical testing and consultations regarding ongoing symptoms, I have recently received a diagnosis relating to 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 impacted different parts of my everyday life. On medical advice, I am not currently cleared to play or train 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 Rabbitohs for the personal support they have shown me and my family throughout this process.

“Teammates, staff and everybody behind the scenes have made an incredibly hard situation easier to face.

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

“To my family and close 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, privacy and understanding 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 now, but for now, I ask for everyone to respect my privacy while I work with my doctors.”