South Sydney Rabbitohs star Jai Arrow today announced he will be retiring from rugby after he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
The 30-year-old sat alongside Rabbitohs chief executive Blake Solly and head coach Wayne Bennett as a prepared statement was read out.
It confirmed the worst possible news as Arrow has to step back from his playing career.
Motor neurone disease currently has no cure with treatment aimed at slowing its progression and therapy to maintain mobility and other motor functions.
The former Queensland player’s devastating news is the latest in a string of tragic blows dealt by motor neurone disease across the NRL and the AFL.
Last year, AFL legend Neale Daniher was named the 2025 Australian of the Year as he has helped raise over $100m to help find a cure for the deadly illness.
Jai Arrow (left) announced he has retired from rugby following a heartbreaking motor neurone disease diagnosis
The 30-year-old attended a press conference where a pre-prepared statement was read out detailing the tragic news
Neale Daniher received the Australian of the Year award in 2025 as his public battle against motor neurone disease has helped raise over $100m to help fight the illness
Neale, who played for Essendon and went on to coach Melbourne, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2013.
Since then he has bravely made himself the public face of the illness, with the nation witnessing his physical decline that has now restricted him to a wheelchair.
He used a pre-recorded acceptance speech as he accepted the Australian of the Year award due to his illness.
‘This recognition isn’t just for me; it belongs to the entire MND community – the families, the carers, the researchers, the volunteers, all those at the FightMND foundation and MND state associations and the countless Australians who have joined us in this fight,’ Mr Daniher said.
‘It also belongs to my family, headed by my wife Jan and our children and their partners, who have been with me every step of the way on this challenging journey.’
He said MND ‘doesn’t discriminate, it robs you of your ability to move, speak, swallow, and eventually breathe’.
‘But it did something else too – it lit a fire within me, a determination to fight for those who are currently affected and those who will face it after me.
‘I chose to fight because if I didn’t, how could I expect anyone else to? I chose to hope because I believe in the decency and generosity of Australians.
‘I thought, if people truly understood the challenges we face, they’d join the fight with me. And you have — oh, how you have. So again, I thank you.’
Few expected Neale to live as long as he has, battling the condition for over a decade, whereas the average lifespan after diagnosis is 27 months.
His charity was built around The Big Freeze annual event on Queen’s, now King’s, Birthday weekend when sports identities and celebrities in costumes plunge into an icy pool of water before a packed MCG crowd.
Aaron Nable was diagnosed with MND in July 2020 and died on March 3. He is pictured with brother Matt
Now Nable has opened up about the condition hitting his cousin Luke (pictured)
NRL player turned TV star Matt Nable took part in the Big Freeze in 2025 as he took the plunge into the freezing cold pool.
And the actor has as good a reason as anyone to back the fight against motor neurone disease.
Back in March of 2024 his brother Aaron died from motor neurone disease aged 46.
When Aaron was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in July 2020, Matt began talking openly about the devastating fate awaiting all those it strikes.
The motor nerve cells in the brain of a patient with MND break down, gradually weakening the body’s muscles and causing paralysis until he or she dies.
‘This disease, what it does is just the hardest thing to watch,’ Matt said last year.
This year, two years after his brother’s death, another family member of Matt Nable’s received the devastating diagnosis.
The Mr Inbetween, The Dry and Hacksaw Ridge star has opened up about the latest MND blow to his family.
‘This is my cousin Luke Nable. He’s 35. He was diagnosed with MND last year. He’s doing it tough,’ Nable wrote on Instagram.
‘This f**king disease is just horrible. It is indiscriminate and cruel.
‘Luke said to his mother, ‘I thought I had more time.’ It broke her heart.
‘But that’s the reality of this disease. Fight as hard as you can cuz.’
Nable also asked for donations to a GoFundMe set up for Luke, which you can find here.
Geoff Ablett died at 71 earlier this year following his battle with motor neurone disease
Earlier this month, Geoff Ablett died following a battle with the disease.
Ablett, 71, played 202 games for Hawthorn, winning VFL premierships in 1976 and 1978.
In February, the older brother of footy icon Gary Ablett Sr confirmed he was diagnosed with MND just before Christmas Eve in 2025.
Famed for his speed, Ablett confirmed he ‘shed a few tears’ following the shattering diagnosis.
Neale Daniher, the Essendon great who had been diagnosed with MND in 2013, warmed hearts after sending a message to Ablett earlier this year.
‘Hi Geoff, Neale Daniher here,’ he said. ‘Sorry to hear about your diagnosis.
‘Being footballers who played in the same era, we have both ridden some big bumps on the footy field, but there is no doubt this beast is going to be our toughest battle.
‘Wishing you well. I hope you’re getting plenty of love and support. All the very best, mate.’
Ablett responded that Daniher’s kind words inspired him to ‘keep pushing on.’
Carl Webb’s four year battle with MND
Carl Webb died aged just 42 after a four-year battle with motor neurone disease
In 2023, NRL enforcer Carl Webb died aged 42 after a four-year battle with the illness.
Webb passed away after a courageous struggle with the incurable condition, which impacts the brain and nervous system.
Webb played 12 games for the Queensland Maroons, marking his debut with a try in the iconic 2001 series, a pivotal moment in a Wayne Bennett-led transformation that rattled a formidable NSW team.
Scott Gale’s MND battle
Back in March 2004, former NRL star Scott Gale sadly died from the incurable illness.
‘I left him this morning, saw him with a big smile on his face looking very peaceful, surrounded by a massive amount of people,’ Ben Elias said at the time.
‘I don’t know anyone who didn’t like him, never have,’ Elias said.
Gale played 158 first-grade games, including Balmain’s 1988 grand final, from 1983-92.
In his final years, the clever half, five-eighth or centre raised money and awareness of the affliction and was a motivational speaker for the NSW State of Origin team last year.
It is important to note that despite MND having an impact on footy stars historically, there is still no strong link between these sports.
According Healthdirect.gov.au, the exact cause of MND is unknown but consensus points to a combination of genetic factors, premature ageing of motor neurones and environmental influences.
