South Sydney forward Jai Arrow was given an emotional guard of honour as he reached his 100th NRL game against the Sydney Roosters, months after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND). The two fierce rivals set aside their bitter on-field enmity for the night, coming together at Allianz Stadium to honour the 31-year-old, with coach Wayne Bennett and Roosters chairman Nick Politis among those who helped make the milestone possible.

Arrow had been stuck on 98 games for two weeks before Bennett arranged for the NRL to grant Souths an extra interchange, allowing him to reach 99 against the Gold Coast and then 100 against the Roosters. He was welcomed by a guard of honour from more than 100 Souths old boys, including teammates from the 2021 grand final, and broke down in tears embracing Bennett after being hugged by captain Cameron Murray and teammate Cody Walker. Speaking on Triple M radio, Arrow said he hoped to raise awareness of MND and live with the disease "the longest anyone has ever", adding he gives himself "every hope" of another decade.