NRL Grand Final honours Jai Arrow with sombre pre-game tribute
The NRL Grand Final pre-game show at Accor Stadium took on a deeply emotional tone as the league honoured Jai Arrow, the 30-year-old player forced into medical retirement this year after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND).
Amy Shark, visibly moved, performed Gerry and the Pacemakers' classic 'You'll Never Walk Alone' as Arrow and former Wallabies star Nathan Charles, who revealed his own MND diagnosis this week, completed a lap of honour in a vintage white vehicle.
What happened during the NRL Grand Final pre-game show?
The show, which the NRL deliberately shifted away from traditional entertainment toward what chief executive Peter V'landys called 'moments that matter', opened with Shark's rendition of the iconic anthem. She appeared close to tears as she squeezed Arrow's shoulder before his lap around the stadium.
Legendary commentator Ray Warren delivered a pre-recorded monologue praising Arrow as a hero, saying his fight against MND 'has reached far beyond the football field'. Warren urged the crowd to raise both arms and 'make an Arrow' in support of Arrow and Charles.
Who performed at the NRL Grand Final pre-game show?
Shark later tried to lift the energy, teaming with Screaming Jets frontman Dave Gleeson, Peking Duk's Reuben Styles, and Grinspoon to perform Tina Turner's 'The Best', a rugby league anthem.
The supergroup's lineup had been shrouded in mystery, with Peking Duk clarifying on social media that Styles would perform solo rather than as part of the duo. Styles admitted to rehearsing 12 hours a day for six days ahead of the show.
The in-arena announcer also acknowledged those affected by a car crash in Newcastle that left several people injured and hospitalised.
Why did the NRL change its pre-game entertainment approach?
V'landys confirmed this week that the league would move away from conventional pre-game performances to focus on meaningful tributes. The decision followed calls for Silverchair to reunite after Newcastle's preliminary final win, but the band declined, citing their 2010 split.
The sombre yet unifying tone of the show reflected a broader shift in Australian sport toward recognising resilience and community, themes that resonate deeply with the NRL's fan base.