Amidst the devastating news of Jai Arrow’s MND diagnosis, Rabbitohs captain Cameron Murray took a moment from Blues camp to reflect on the strength shown by his former teammate and the impact his character has had on those around him.
“Jai has shown an incredible amount of strength over the last couple of months,” said Murray. “It’s really unbelievable what he’s been going through, and the strength he’s shown in the face of such a cruel disease has been amazing.
“He’s left his mark on rugby league for sure. Particularly since he joined us in 2021, he’s left his mark on all of us and we’re all better people for knowing Jai.
“We’re all right behind him and it’s really good to see the support that he’s got
throughout the wider rugby league community, and even past that. I think it just speaks about his character and the impact that he’s had on everyone that he’s come into contact with.
“There’s no better bloke and we’re all behind him. We all love him, so we’ll be there with him through this fight.
Inside camp: Nathan Cleary
“It’s cruel. Life can be pretty cruel sometimes.”
NSW Blues debutant Blayke Brailey also expressed his support for Arrow on Saturday morning as Laurie Daley's men ramped up preparations for Game One.
“I was really shocked and saddened by the news. He’s got all our support and no matter if you’re a Souths fan or you know Jai, you’ll send your love and prayers to him and hopefully he can get through this tough time," Brailey said.
Inside camp: Isaah Yeo
Support for Arrow has been strong from the Blues camp as well as the wider rugby league community, but New South Wales are maintaining their focus on the job at hand.
Murray and Brailey will both feature for the Blues this Wednesday from a bench which has prompted discussions over whether Blues coach Laurie Daley is preparing for a faster brand of football.
Daley has selected just one genuine front-rower on the interchange in the form of Jacob Saifiti, with Victor Radley, Ethan Strange and Casey McClean rounding it out.
Despite these discussions, Murray insists there’s been no talk of how the series opener will be officiated amongst the squad.
“We’ll just have to wait and see” said Murray. “I’m not sure if the Origin will be similar to the NRL season, or the same old Origin we all know it can be," he said.
Regardless of how the game is officiated, Murray’s focus is on adapting and bringing his best to the Origin arena once more, after watching last year’s series from the sidelines.
“You can overthink it. Obviously it’s a little bit different, but the teams and players that adapt the best and leave their excuses on the sideline are the ones that will be successful," he said.
"It was tough seeing the result last year, and I’m glad I’m back in the team and able to play my part in bringing the shield back to the state."
