South Sydney forward Jai Arrow has been forced into immediate medical retirement after being diagnosed with a neurological condition. The Rabbitohs announced the decision on Wednesday, saying the 30-year-old would stop playing at once.
Souths chief executive Blake Solly confirmed Arrow’s diagnosis at a press conference at the club’s Heffron Park headquarters alongside coach Wayne Bennett, ending weeks of uncertainty around the forward’s future. Arrow had not played for South Sydney this season because of a serious shoulder injury, but the latest medical issue has now brought his career to a sudden close.
Arrow said he had recently received a diagnosis after extensive medical testing and consultations over ongoing symptoms. He said further tests, specialist reviews and medical processes were still continuing, and that his symptoms had affected different parts of his every day life over recent months.
He said he was not currently medically cleared to train or play at the required level and would step away from those duties while he focused fully on treatment and rehabilitation. The club said the diagnosis related to a nerve and neurological condition.
The retirement ends a career that stretched across Brisbane, Gold Coast and South Sydney from 2016 to 2025, with Arrow playing 178 NRL games. He was part of the Rabbitohs side in the 2021 grand final and also became a regular in Queensland’s Origin program, appearing in three State of Origin series victories for the Maroons and playing 12 times for his state between 2018 and 2023.
The timing leaves South Sydney to adjust quickly without one of its most experienced forwards, but the wider concern is now Arrow’s health rather than the club’s line-up. The diagnosis was only made public after extensive testing, and the fact that his symptoms had already reached into day-to-day life suggests the problem had been building for some time before retirement became unavoidable.
