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The NRL reversed its decision to cancel the grand final pre-match entertainment and staged a tribute to retired South Sydney player Jai Arrow, who has motor neurone disease.
The NRL grand final pre-match show went ahead after a late turnaround, with a tribute to retired South Sydney player Jai Arrow at its centre.
NRL Scrambles Over Grand Final Entertainment
The NRL had struggled to line up its traditional entertainment until days before the big game. Dance Monkey was off the playlist. There was no Silverchair reunion given the late notice and the well-known disagreements between the Newcastle band's members. The NRL eventually decided there would be no show at all this year.
The game's supremo, Peter V'landys, said he would rather spend $1 million on junior development than a big-name act. Then came a late turnaround during the week: V'landys said there would be a show, after all. And that would be the highest-rating 11 minutes you will ever see. The show became a tribute to former Souths star Jai Arrow, whose forced retirement after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease has resulted in some of the season's most emotional moments.
Retired South Sydney player Jai Arrow and former Wallaby Nathan Charles acknowledge the crowd before they take part in a lap of the field ahead of the NRL grand final. As much love as there is around the rugby league community for Arrow and his family, there was a real risk a tribute dreamt up in the last week would feel exploitative. That it was milking the genuine warmth the game felt for the larrikin Rabbitoh.
Jai Arrow Tribute Leads Pregame Show
As excitement built towards kick-off, the show began with veteran commentator Ray Warren talking about the importance of rugby league heroes and announcing that the $1 million would allow underprivileged kids to play the game. He said Arrow had shown us what true bravery really looks like and called on the crowd at the stadium to shoot an arrow for Jai.
You'll Never Walk Alone, the Liverpool FC anthem, was the moving soundtrack to Arrow taking the field for his 100th and last Souths match and other emotional moments since his MND diagnosis. She greeted him and a surprise guest, former Wallaby Nathan Charles, who has also been diagnosed with MND, as they started a drive on a lap of honour. What's Up, with Shark and the crowd joining in.
Then Phil Jamieson from Grinspoon launched into the most famous rugby league anthem of all. The verdict: it was a simple but effective show. Considering how late it came together, the emphasis on Arrow, Charles and a trio of Australian singers had none of the wow factor of Kylie Minogue's 20-minute set at the AFL grand final, but it worked well enough on TV.
Simple Show Delivers Emotional Impact
The visual element that should have capped the show, the crowd united in firing an arrow for Jai, came too early and didn't pay off. Not one of the all-time great NRL grand final shows but it did not feel awkward or contrived.
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brisbanetimes:This story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
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