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The NRL will honour Jai Arrow with an emotional lap of honour and a performance of You'll Never Walk Alone before the grand final between the Sydney Roosters and Newcastle Knights at Accor Stadium.
The NRL will honour Jai Arrow in Sunday night's grand final with an emotional tribute set to be the centerpiece of the entertainment ahead of the Roosters-Knights clash.
Jai Arrow's Grand Final Tribute
Arrow will complete a lap of honour while a group of Aussie musicians will perform the iconic song You'll Never Walk Alone. The tribute is scheduled to take place from 7.05pm, 25 minutes before kick-off, at Accor Stadium. As the 31-year-old circles the venue, the sold-out crowd of about 80,000 will be asked to celebrate him by gesturing as if they are firing an arrow.
Australian Rugby League Commission executive chairman Peter V'landys has teased a must-watch surprise in store ahead of kick-off between the Sydney Roosters and Newcastle Knights. The performance will feature a collection of Australian artists, though their identities have not yet been revealed. The performance is sure to be a hit as the NRL world unites as one to pay tribute to Arrow.
Rugby league takes a back seat when considering Arrow's battle, with the father-of-one becoming one of the public faces of the fight against MND in Australia. It's unclear if there will be more elements to the entertainment, with NRL supremo Peter V'landys remaining coy when discussing the issue earlier in the week.
I've got to tell you it'll be the highest-rating 11 minutes you will ever see, because no one knows what it is, and we won't tell until the night, V'landys told reporters. There will be something, but I am not saying what it is. Stay tuned.
Grand Final Entertainment Comes Under Fire
The NRL had faced public backlash over the decision to go without pre-match entertainment, after talks broke down with Australian artist Tones and I. Saturday's headline-grabbing performance by Kylie Minogue at the AFL grand final fuelled the criticism. V'landys had insisted last week it was not an issue that the NRL would go without, comparing the pre-match entertainment to a pickle in a burger.
The executive chairman had also pledged to spend $1 million on grassroots rugby league, instead of having that money allocated towards an artist. The much-loved player was granted special dispensation to feature in two more games for the Rabbitohs so he could notch his 100th game for the club. He led the team out on both occasions and remained out on the field before being substituted out in emotional scenes. Arrow was diagnosed with motor neurone disease earlier this year.
The tribute is illustrative of an NRL intention to promote grand finals with moments that matter.
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