Tom Burgess calls for NRL to introduce 'Try for Jai' fundraiser after former teammate's 'heartbreaking' MND diagnosis

Jai Arrow's former Rabbitohs teammate Tom Burgess has urged the NRL to introduce a fundraising initiative he's dubbed 'Try for Jai'.

The rugby league world was rocked on Wednesday by news Arrow had been medically retired having been diagnosed with motor neurone disease.

Mark Burgess, the father of the four Burgess brothers Luke, Sam, George and Tom, died of MND, and the latter's push has already received backing from the RLPA.

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The NRL's annual Try July promotion - which was sponsored by Sportsbet - was canned for 2026 after pushback from clubs who had entered anti-gambling partnerships or who were sponsored by rival bookies.

During the promotion, Sportsbet donated $5000 for every try scored in July.

"If Try July is gone, why not have Try For Jai?" Burgess told The Sydney Morning Herald.

"You don't need a sports betting agency backing it. Everyone should come together to support it and raise money.

"And why only keep it to July? Why not keep it going the rest of this year? If you were going to give this challenge to anyone, Jai is the one who will take it head-on. Just the way he is. I know he will do it with a smile on his face. He's already kept his sense of humour.

"My dad used to say to me, 'If you don't smile, you'll cry'. I'm still in shock about the diagnosis. It was so tough. I actually didn't find out until yesterday. My older brother Luke knew. As soon as I found out, the first thing I wanted to do was give him a big cuddle and sit with him.

"I spoke to Jai … he doesn't want us feeling bad for him. But raising awareness about MND is the key."

RLPA chief Clint Newton said the organisation would "absolutely get behind" the proposal.

He also confirmed the RLPA were working with Arrow and his family to offer support.

Elsewhere, well-known Aussie swimwear brand Budgy Smugglers - of which Arrow was a long-time ambassador - has announced all proceeds from sales in its NRL collection this weekend would be donated to Arrow and his family.

On Thursday, South Sydney coach Wayne Bennett revealed the Rabbitohs playing group had not been informed of the sad news until just before Wednesday's press conference.

"Jai is with us all the time...they (players) know he's been not well because they've seen him here and he hasn't be able to train," Bennett said on Triple M's The Rush Hour with Dobbo & Elliott.

"The final diagnosis came through ... that means his playing career is over.

"We'll have a meeting, I didn't tell the players up until (Wednesday) because I thought ... we just wanted to handle this properly from our end and make sure the media didn't go crazy about it.

"And everyone leaking a bit here and leaking a bit there and I think some ... had an idea, to everyone's credit, they kept silent about it."

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In an interview on 9News with Danika Mason which aired on Wednesday night, Arrow showed clear signs of decline, particularly his speech.

Arrow's former Broncos teammate Sam Thaiday said watching the interview 'hurt his heart'.

"This is an absolutely shocking diagnosis," he said on Nine's Today.

"I know the rugby league community, they'll be getting right behind Jai. I know Jai Arrow as well ... he's a fighter, he's not going to back down, he's going to do every trial he can. Anything that he can do to prolong his life, he is going to have a crack.

"And you know what? At the end of the day, if Billy Slater was short next week for State of Origin, he could still ring Jai Arrow and he would go out there and represent Queensland.

"He was an absolute tough player on the field and he will be a tough human being going through this diagnosis and whatever's next in his life."

To a point, Slater has done exactly that, extending the invitation for Arrow to join Queensland camp before State of Origin I.

The coach admitted the news was taken with a sombre note when they players heard, with Queensland fullback Kalyn Ponga echoing that sentiment.

"It's terrible news, it's definitely been spoken about in this camp," Ponga admitted.

"I played a lot of footy against Jai and he's one of those guy you didn't want to play against because he was so passionate played aggressively but after the game you wanted to have a beer with him. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his loved ones.

"One thing about Jai is he's a strong bloke. There's a journey ahead of him but he is a man that's fit for it."

Queensland legend Allan Langer - an assistant under Slater - said, "Queensland will get behind him and hopefully go out and play the way that Jai loved playing for Queensland."

"I'm sure he will inspire the boys. It will be great to see him when we get to Sydney. He was great for Queensland. When he pulled that Queensland jersey on, he never let us down."

In a separate Today interview, Rabbitohs chief executive Blake Solly said the club had been "overwhelmed" by the entire NRL community with offers of support for Arrow.

Solly said other NRL clubs, fans, as well as Andrew Abdo and Peter V'landys had all offered to help in any way they could.

"Even from people on the periphery of the game … there will be no shortage of support for Jai as he faces this battle," he said.

On the Rabbitohs' Instagram post announcing Arrow's retirement, comments of support came from the other NRL clubs, former teammates Adam Reynolds, Josh Mansour and Cody Walker among others. Other comments from notable accounts included the Matildas and The Wiggles, and even McDonalds.

In a post to his story, Latrell Mitchell called him the "ultimate teammate", while Cameron Murray said he was "one of the greats".

The Rabbitohs confirmed they are planning some kind of tribute, with details to be announced in the coming weeks. They don't play another home game until round 15 on June – coincidentally against the Broncos.

Several players from both rugby codes have died from the disease over the past several years.

Fellow former Queensland player Carl Webb died of MND at 42 in 2023, while former England league halfback Rob Burrow died in 2024, at the age of 41, five years after diagnosis.

Former Scotland rugby union international Doddie Weir died in November 2022, and World Cup-winning former England international Lewis Moody was diagnosed in September 2025.

Motor Neurone Disease is an umbrella term for the breakdown of nerve cells called motor neurons, which are responsible for carrying messages from the brain to the muscles via the spinal cord.

In an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald, Macquarie University Professor Dominic Rowe said 10 per cent of MND was caused by faulty genes passed down from parent to child, with the other 90 per cent made up of environmental factors.

He said head injuries are a suspected risk factor in MND, but it was no "smoking gun".

"Head injury itself doesn't cause motor neurone disease, but what it does, we think, is disrupt the very special protective barrier called the blood-brain barrier that protects your brain from the agents in the environment that may damage such sensitive cells like motor neurons," he said.

In the 9News interview, Arrow revealed he "laughed" when given the diagnosis. He vowed he was "ready to fight".

"I do really have a lot. Nothing is gonna take me out easy. I wanna do everything I can - any trial, any medication that will maintain me for as long as I can," he said.

"I want to inspire other people who have been diagnosed."

On Today, Solly said that reaction would not come as any surprise to those who know him.

"Everyone who knows Jai knows what a character he is ... he wants to be an inspiration for everyone who's been diagnosed," he said.

"But it's also been extremely challenging. He's much-loved at our club and in the game, and everyone knows (wife) Berina and (daughter) Ayla, and watching Ayla grow up in our building, it's just so sad to see this diagnosis.

"But we also want to support Jai and everyone around him through this fight that he's got on his hands."