September 7, 2026 • 15 mins
Following a heartbreaking 2026 with the diagnosis of MND, ending his Rugby League career immediately, Jai Arrow was permitted two more walk-ons with the team in the final two rounds of the NRL season - allowing him to reach the 100 game milestone with his beloved South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Emotional scenes played out in Sydney as that happened - Robin, Kip & Corey speak to Jai about what that moment meant, how he is progressing and how Jai & his wife Berina are handling Jai's public, yet private health battle...
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Robin, Kip and Corey Oates in the morning.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
So before we get into this chat with Jai Arrow,
we should say that we're going to refer to this
cane-toed head, which if you don't know the story.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
I don't, actually.
Speaker 4 (00:12):
It was the day after State of Origin.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Queensland had had a win.
Speaker 4 (00:17):
They won.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Yeah, and they went to do a live interview, live
television interview, and Jai, the day after, is still wearing
the cane-toed head that he'd stolen from a fan.
Speaker 4 (00:26):
Yeah. For a beer. Because we should say. No, no,
he just got a beer and then stole his hat.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
We're assuming everyone knows Jai Arrow, right? So he played
for the Rabbitohs, he played for the Broncos, State of Origin, Titans.
Speaker 5 (00:39):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
And he's become really in everyone's hearts.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
Because of MND.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Yes. And so we've had a chat with Jai and
his wife, Barina, over Zoom. It's Rob and Kip and
Corey Oates on KISS 97.3. And we have Jai Arrow
with us.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
And his beautiful wife.
Speaker 6 (00:56):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Hello, Barina. Hello. Hello. This is my interpreter. That's your interpreter. Okay, gotcha.
Speaker 6 (01:07):
Translator.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Translator.
Speaker 7 (01:09):
I still need one of those, don't worry, because I
talk absolute gibberish.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
What?
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Yeah, at least Jai's got an excuse.
Speaker 4 (01:15):
What's your excuse?
Speaker 7 (01:17):
I'm a Bogan Aussie, so that's my excuse.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Jai, we should ask you, because you would have stories
of the gibberish choreos.
Speaker 6 (01:24):
I think the amount of complaining.
Speaker 4 (01:29):
I used to do. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
This last couple of weeks for you, Jai, I feel
like must have been pretty incredible. And just seeing you,
you know, the weekend just gone, the South Roosters game.
The amount of support that you obviously have from the
crowd and fans of the game, but it's also the,
just everyone in it. And just even having, you know,
I think that footage of Wayne Bennett pulling on your
(01:56):
socks before the game was... Who would have thought he
was going to put on your socks? It was incredible.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
How's it been for you, mate?
Speaker 4 (02:05):
Yeah, pretty surreal.
Speaker 6 (02:07):
I'm truly appreciative of everything and it's been a while, right?
But I wouldn't change it for the world and I
didn't think I'd ever have Wayne Bennett Change my socks.
Speaker 7 (02:25):
People struggle to get Wayne to say hello and smile
at him. He's changing your socks.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Those moments when you came out onto the field and
heard the crowd just going berserk, how did that feel?
Speaker 6 (02:37):
So hard to explain the feeling that when I hit
the field and heard the crowd I was in awe.
Speaker 7 (02:47):
Watching the game, as soon as that happened, the Spencer, Lenu,
you know, when he was blowing up, all I could
think about was you thinking that you should be out
there because you think you can fight.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
Did you want to bow?
Speaker 6 (03:00):
No.
Speaker 7 (03:00):
Do you wish you were out there pushing and shoving,
but then praying to God he doesn't throw a punch?
In all honesty, you wouldn't have been able to throw
one back, mate.
Speaker 4 (03:10):
We all know that you weren't a fighter at all.
Speaker 5 (03:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
You weren't.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
You weren't.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Verena, can I ask you, how did you go with
that moment? Because I, sitting at home watching with my
kids and my family, I mean, I was howling. It
was the most special, amazing thing to witness.
Speaker 6 (03:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (03:27):
A week before that, we were in the Gold Coast.
It was the Bunnies against the Titans, and that was
his 99th game walking out, and that was also quite
emotional because Um, so I was prepared for this one
to be even more emotional. On one hand, I was
very proud of him. I'm still very proud of him, um,
for being able to do that. And even though it's
(03:48):
nerve wracking, be able to walk out, um, but on
the other hand, you know, I'm glad that he got
to say goodbye to his career and, you know, have
that opportunity for me.
Speaker 7 (04:02):
The photos with my kids, the one that Jai got,
is that something that you are so thankful that he
was able to get, you know, with the jersey on
and giving your beautiful daughter a big cuddle?
Speaker 4 (04:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (04:13):
She just turned 17 months old today. So she's got
no idea what's going on. She's his daddy's girl. She
loves Jai so much. So to get those moments where
when she's a bit older, she could look back on
and I can even look back on and cherish and
Jai can, I think that's It means more to us
than anything else.
Speaker 4 (04:31):
And I ain't going anywhere. No, you're not.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
That was the moment that got me. I've got a
two-year-old daughter as well. When you hugged your daughter and
you broke down, I went to water. What was it
about that moment that struck you so hard?
Speaker 4 (04:48):
All in general.
Speaker 6 (04:51):
Every time I see her, I make out.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
As soon as I see my daughter, I'm gone. I'm
a mess.
Speaker 7 (05:03):
Do you not think about the photos that she's going
to have for her life and not only is she
going to have to deal with the frogs photo of
the Kato hat on your head for a whole life.
But then she's also going to be able to have
that one next to her.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
Do you ever think about that?
Speaker 7 (05:19):
Here's dad when he's the party dad. And then this
is the loving and father figure dad.
Speaker 5 (05:26):
I'm going to make sure I make a section of
the scrapbook for her where it's just all his hairstyles.
Speaker 4 (05:31):
Oh, awesome.
Speaker 7 (05:33):
I'll have to dig through the archives, Jai, and actually
add some photos of that scrapbook.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
No. No. No, you don't. All of a sudden.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Were you with Jai at that stage in his life, Marina,
with the cane-toed head, the celebration after the Queensland game?
Speaker 4 (05:50):
No, thank God.
Speaker 5 (05:51):
No.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
Did you know about it? No, no. She may not
be here, but she did.
Speaker 7 (05:58):
That's what I was wondering when you told your parents
this is his name and they looked him up, first phone.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
I just joined at KTOD. Yeah.
Speaker 6 (06:06):
Can I ask you guys, because your journey has been
so public.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
And you've been incredibly generous.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
To everyone to share all of this with us. But
I guess moving forward when you're coming to an illness
like you have, it's going to be the moments that
you create. What are you going to now do next?
(06:35):
What's your one-year plan and your five-year plan and the
moments you want?
Speaker 4 (06:39):
That's a really good question. For me, it's training.
Speaker 6 (06:45):
All I want to do is make sure that I'm
around and I'm doing all the right things See what
I'm putting on my life.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (06:59):
I know if anyone listening maybe is going through the
same thing and not, but, you know, the next year
for us really just being prepared, having, not planning for
the worst, but hoping for the best, but just making
sure that we do have all of our ducks in
a row so that the next five years we can
actually enjoy together as a family, make memories, really.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
And always show me.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
I have absolutely no doubt about that.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
I am a cockroach. You are a cockroach. You're a cockroach.
You're going to get rid of me.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
You play for the cane toes, but you're a cockroach
when it comes to getting rid of you.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
I love it.
Speaker 6 (07:42):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
What are the options for treatment? Because, you know, what
we hear about MND is, you know, that there's nothing,
but obviously there are things that you're able to do.
Speaker 4 (07:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (07:51):
Yeah, when we say treatment, Obviously there's no cure. And
anything and everything we try is more to prolong his
journey with it. So the progression of it, slow the
progression down. So things from, you know, the drugs, the
medications that he's on to sort of anything alternative. When
we go overseas next month for our wedding, we're going
(08:13):
to go to Cyprus for two weeks to go to
Sozo Clinic. They're a neuromodulation facility. It's really just about
prolonging his journey as much as possible.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (08:23):
But sadly, there's no magic pill.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Well, you certainly, I mean, wow. Talk about putting this
disease under a spotlight. There's no one in Australia that
doesn't know about it anymore. And I reckon there was
plenty of people that sort of heard the letters and thought,
what is it? I've heard something about it. But the
word is out that we need to do something about it.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
Yeah. It's crazy.
Speaker 6 (08:43):
Yeah. A lot of people knew nothing about it. And
now everyone's starting to Talking about it to essentially furniture.
Speaker 4 (08:58):
Yeah. That's what we're all here for.
Speaker 5 (09:01):
We've had a lot of people reach out to say, hey,
this person I know passed away from MND and this
person I know has MND and this person and that person.
And it's so crazy because I didn't even really know
what it was.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
But I will also say, like, I've got a very
dear friend, Joe Boone, who's had it for years.
Speaker 5 (09:19):
Right.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
She comes to every single event we do.
Speaker 6 (09:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
Right. So, I mean, and I think belligerence is actually
a medical treatment.
Speaker 6 (09:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
You know, staying positive. But we've just crossed over something
very important.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
You said the word wedding.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
Yes. Yeah. I thought you.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
Guys were already married.
Speaker 5 (09:37):
We are.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
We are. Is that here?
Speaker 7 (09:40):
And then you're doing your dream wedding over.
Speaker 6 (09:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
With her family.
Speaker 6 (09:45):
Oh, nice.
Speaker 5 (09:45):
Nice.
Speaker 4 (09:46):
They're in Canada.
Speaker 5 (09:47):
So we're doing our wedding in Italy.
Speaker 4 (09:49):
Oh, cool.
Speaker 5 (09:50):
So we thought it was fair for both families to
travel to one spot.
Speaker 4 (09:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (09:55):
And that's where we got engaged.
Speaker 4 (09:57):
Yeah, you got engaged over there, I thought.
Speaker 6 (09:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
There we go.
Speaker 5 (10:00):
We were always going to do the legal ceremony here,
but we sort of pushed it forward while Jai's still.
Speaker 4 (10:05):
Wow. She made me.
Speaker 5 (10:07):
I made him.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
She dragged me down to the altar. She dragged you down.
Speaker 7 (10:11):
She made me marry her. At least when you got
down on one knee over there, you were sober.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (10:17):
Because the other times I've seen it in these.
Speaker 4 (10:19):
Oh, no. You could have walked. Look, I'm just saying.
That's just a little bit of the history, you know.
Speaker 7 (10:25):
I'll get you home, Giza.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
It's all right, bud. Come on. I'll carry you home, mate.
It's all good.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Giza.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
It looks like Frankenstein motions he's making there at the moment.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Yeah, so normally when you're taking a knee, it's because
you just need a little light there, isn't it?
Speaker 3 (10:40):
Marina, did you know about any of this?
Speaker 4 (10:44):
No.
Speaker 6 (10:44):
No.
Speaker 7 (10:45):
Maybe that's why we're not allowed to meet maybe ever.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
Is that right, John? No, please.
Speaker 6 (10:54):
Are there things.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
That you've had to cut out, like, as far as
part of the treatment and things like that? Like, can
you have alcohol? Are there things that you can't do
and have to stay away from?
Speaker 4 (11:07):
It's not ideal.
Speaker 6 (11:09):
Right.
Speaker 4 (11:10):
It's not ideal. But I am having wine here and there. Yeah.
And drinking, I'll never, ever give up.
Speaker 7 (11:20):
I won't.
Speaker 4 (11:23):
No chance. No chance.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
I mean, you're going to Italy.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
What are you going to do?
Speaker 2 (11:27):
Your brother's got to have a wife.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Yeah, you're right.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
This is going to be a strange question, but I mean,
I had a husband who had terminal cancer, so I
feel like I can ask it.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
Out of all the terrible.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
Things that comes with a disease like this, what has
been one of the great moments? Because incredible things do
come out of terrible tragedy. And we don't focus on that.
But it can be life-changing in the best possible way.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
In what way? Just a little bit.
Speaker 5 (12:03):
A little bit of M & T humour.
Speaker 4 (12:05):
I love it, yeah. I think for me at the
moment and what we.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
Are doing is a matter of help towards.
Speaker 6 (12:22):
Families and the amount of awareness and the way I
woke up following was pretty cool as well.
Speaker 5 (12:34):
Yeah, I think it's taken us on a different path
in life as well, naturally, trying to advocate for those
who have the disease, those who are sort of going
through a similar thing, and hopefully create something of our
own where we can help. kind of give back to
families and research and all that stuff because we're quite
passionate about it.
Speaker 6 (12:52):
Yeah, and we're in the position to do that.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
So you're changing lives.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
Yeah. That's massive.
Speaker 7 (13:00):
And this is the other thing I wanted to ask
you about being at South. You know, are you thankful
that you're there? Because I feel like that club, I've
always seen them get behind people you know, when they're
going through a bit of a tough thing and even
when they're teammates or staff. I just feel like that club,
and maybe Wayne has been a big part of that,
(13:22):
but are you just so thankful you've had them, that
team around you, and being at that club has probably
made it so much better?
Speaker 4 (13:30):
Yeah, I am, mate.
Speaker 6 (13:33):
I think what they're doing and have done for me
and my family, they've gone above and beyond.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
One of the other things that I think has been
amazing throughout the last few months, you know, July, July,
remember with the Tri celebration, the arrow, the arrow, and
just not just rugby, like across rugby league, but then
it went into surfing and it went all over.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
It was overseas, man. Everywhere.
Speaker 7 (13:58):
And that's what I can't, like, it has gone, you know,
incredibly far. Like, you know, you see Neil Denneher. from
AFL for 10 years, raised over $ 100- something million.
Speaker 4 (14:10):
People didn't know that.
Speaker 7 (14:13):
Mate, look, I have given you a bit of slack.
Speaker 4 (14:16):
I'm glad they do now. Yeah, and that's exactly right.
Speaker 7 (14:19):
But I think it's because of the person you are.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
You're a legend. You're a champion bloke. Um, you know, yeah, yeah.
You're always there for people, mate. So, um, look.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
As much as for those that can't see what's happening
in the other studio, Jai's pointing to Barina, listen to this,
listen to this.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
But it's true.
Speaker 7 (14:43):
Like, cause Kip even said to me one day that
he didn't think that you remembered who he was. And
one day that Kip said he was walking down the
airport and you yelled out, Hey Kip, how you going mate?
And I said to him, I said, that is, that's Jai.
I'm like, He respects everybody and as much of a
pain in the arse and a larrikin as you are,
you're a champion.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
Bloke, mate.
Speaker 7 (15:01):
And I think that has rubbed off on a lot
of people and you can see that with how far
this has gone.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
I appreciate it, mate. Well, good luck. Yeah, good luck.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
You guys have been so generous with all of your
time to the whole of Australia. So I hope you
get to have those really special moments just for you
and your family.
Speaker 4 (15:22):
We will. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thanks. Good
to see you. Good to talk to you. Am I
good to see you?
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Robin, Keith and Corey out in the morning.
Robin, Kip and Corey Oates in the morning.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
So before we get into this chat with Jai Arrow,
we should say that we're going to refer to this
cane-toed head, which if you don't know the story.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
I don't, actually.
Speaker 4 (00:12):
It was the day after State of Origin.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Queensland had had a win.
Speaker 4 (00:17):
They won.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Yeah, and they went to do a live interview, live
television interview, and Jai, the day after, is still wearing
the cane-toed head that he'd stolen from a fan.
Speaker 4 (00:26):
Yeah. For a beer. Because we should say. No, no,
he just got a beer and then stole his hat.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
We're assuming everyone knows Jai Arrow, right? So he played
for the Rabbitohs, he played for the Broncos, State of Origin, Titans.
Speaker 5 (00:39):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
And he's become really in everyone's hearts.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
Because of MND.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Yes. And so we've had a chat with Jai and
his wife, Barina, over Zoom. It's Rob and Kip and
Corey Oates on KISS 97.3. And we have Jai Arrow
with us.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
And his beautiful wife.
Speaker 6 (00:56):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Hello, Barina. Hello. Hello. This is my interpreter. That's your interpreter. Okay, gotcha.
Speaker 6 (01:07):
Translator.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Translator.
Speaker 7 (01:09):
I still need one of those, don't worry, because I
talk absolute gibberish.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
What?
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Yeah, at least Jai's got an excuse.
Speaker 4 (01:15):
What's your excuse?
Speaker 7 (01:17):
I'm a Bogan Aussie, so that's my excuse.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Jai, we should ask you, because you would have stories
of the gibberish choreos.
Speaker 6 (01:24):
I think the amount of complaining.
Speaker 4 (01:29):
I used to do. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
This last couple of weeks for you, Jai, I feel
like must have been pretty incredible. And just seeing you,
you know, the weekend just gone, the South Roosters game.
The amount of support that you obviously have from the
crowd and fans of the game, but it's also the,
just everyone in it. And just even having, you know,
I think that footage of Wayne Bennett pulling on your
(01:56):
socks before the game was... Who would have thought he
was going to put on your socks? It was incredible.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
How's it been for you, mate?
Speaker 4 (02:05):
Yeah, pretty surreal.
Speaker 6 (02:07):
I'm truly appreciative of everything and it's been a while, right?
But I wouldn't change it for the world and I
didn't think I'd ever have Wayne Bennett Change my socks.
Speaker 7 (02:25):
People struggle to get Wayne to say hello and smile
at him. He's changing your socks.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Those moments when you came out onto the field and
heard the crowd just going berserk, how did that feel?
Speaker 6 (02:37):
So hard to explain the feeling that when I hit
the field and heard the crowd I was in awe.
Speaker 7 (02:47):
Watching the game, as soon as that happened, the Spencer, Lenu,
you know, when he was blowing up, all I could
think about was you thinking that you should be out
there because you think you can fight.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
Did you want to bow?
Speaker 6 (03:00):
No.
Speaker 7 (03:00):
Do you wish you were out there pushing and shoving,
but then praying to God he doesn't throw a punch?
In all honesty, you wouldn't have been able to throw
one back, mate.
Speaker 4 (03:10):
We all know that you weren't a fighter at all.
Speaker 5 (03:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
You weren't.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
You weren't.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Verena, can I ask you, how did you go with
that moment? Because I, sitting at home watching with my
kids and my family, I mean, I was howling. It
was the most special, amazing thing to witness.
Speaker 6 (03:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (03:27):
A week before that, we were in the Gold Coast.
It was the Bunnies against the Titans, and that was
his 99th game walking out, and that was also quite
emotional because Um, so I was prepared for this one
to be even more emotional. On one hand, I was
very proud of him. I'm still very proud of him, um,
for being able to do that. And even though it's
(03:48):
nerve wracking, be able to walk out, um, but on
the other hand, you know, I'm glad that he got
to say goodbye to his career and, you know, have
that opportunity for me.
Speaker 7 (04:02):
The photos with my kids, the one that Jai got,
is that something that you are so thankful that he
was able to get, you know, with the jersey on
and giving your beautiful daughter a big cuddle?
Speaker 4 (04:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (04:13):
She just turned 17 months old today. So she's got
no idea what's going on. She's his daddy's girl. She
loves Jai so much. So to get those moments where
when she's a bit older, she could look back on
and I can even look back on and cherish and
Jai can, I think that's It means more to us
than anything else.
Speaker 4 (04:31):
And I ain't going anywhere. No, you're not.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
That was the moment that got me. I've got a
two-year-old daughter as well. When you hugged your daughter and
you broke down, I went to water. What was it
about that moment that struck you so hard?
Speaker 4 (04:48):
All in general.
Speaker 6 (04:51):
Every time I see her, I make out.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
As soon as I see my daughter, I'm gone. I'm
a mess.
Speaker 7 (05:03):
Do you not think about the photos that she's going
to have for her life and not only is she
going to have to deal with the frogs photo of
the Kato hat on your head for a whole life.
But then she's also going to be able to have
that one next to her.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
Do you ever think about that?
Speaker 7 (05:19):
Here's dad when he's the party dad. And then this
is the loving and father figure dad.
Speaker 5 (05:26):
I'm going to make sure I make a section of
the scrapbook for her where it's just all his hairstyles.
Speaker 4 (05:31):
Oh, awesome.
Speaker 7 (05:33):
I'll have to dig through the archives, Jai, and actually
add some photos of that scrapbook.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
No. No. No, you don't. All of a sudden.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Were you with Jai at that stage in his life, Marina,
with the cane-toed head, the celebration after the Queensland game?
Speaker 4 (05:50):
No, thank God.
Speaker 5 (05:51):
No.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
Did you know about it? No, no. She may not
be here, but she did.
Speaker 7 (05:58):
That's what I was wondering when you told your parents
this is his name and they looked him up, first phone.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
I just joined at KTOD. Yeah.
Speaker 6 (06:06):
Can I ask you guys, because your journey has been
so public.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
And you've been incredibly generous.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
To everyone to share all of this with us. But
I guess moving forward when you're coming to an illness
like you have, it's going to be the moments that
you create. What are you going to now do next?
(06:35):
What's your one-year plan and your five-year plan and the
moments you want?
Speaker 4 (06:39):
That's a really good question. For me, it's training.
Speaker 6 (06:45):
All I want to do is make sure that I'm
around and I'm doing all the right things See what
I'm putting on my life.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (06:59):
I know if anyone listening maybe is going through the
same thing and not, but, you know, the next year
for us really just being prepared, having, not planning for
the worst, but hoping for the best, but just making
sure that we do have all of our ducks in
a row so that the next five years we can
actually enjoy together as a family, make memories, really.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
And always show me.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
I have absolutely no doubt about that.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
I am a cockroach. You are a cockroach. You're a cockroach.
You're going to get rid of me.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
You play for the cane toes, but you're a cockroach
when it comes to getting rid of you.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
I love it.
Speaker 6 (07:42):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
What are the options for treatment? Because, you know, what
we hear about MND is, you know, that there's nothing,
but obviously there are things that you're able to do.
Speaker 4 (07:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (07:51):
Yeah, when we say treatment, Obviously there's no cure. And
anything and everything we try is more to prolong his
journey with it. So the progression of it, slow the
progression down. So things from, you know, the drugs, the
medications that he's on to sort of anything alternative. When
we go overseas next month for our wedding, we're going
(08:13):
to go to Cyprus for two weeks to go to
Sozo Clinic. They're a neuromodulation facility. It's really just about
prolonging his journey as much as possible.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (08:23):
But sadly, there's no magic pill.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Well, you certainly, I mean, wow. Talk about putting this
disease under a spotlight. There's no one in Australia that
doesn't know about it anymore. And I reckon there was
plenty of people that sort of heard the letters and thought,
what is it? I've heard something about it. But the
word is out that we need to do something about it.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
Yeah. It's crazy.
Speaker 6 (08:43):
Yeah. A lot of people knew nothing about it. And
now everyone's starting to Talking about it to essentially furniture.
Speaker 4 (08:58):
Yeah. That's what we're all here for.
Speaker 5 (09:01):
We've had a lot of people reach out to say, hey,
this person I know passed away from MND and this
person I know has MND and this person and that person.
And it's so crazy because I didn't even really know
what it was.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
But I will also say, like, I've got a very
dear friend, Joe Boone, who's had it for years.
Speaker 5 (09:19):
Right.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
She comes to every single event we do.
Speaker 6 (09:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
Right. So, I mean, and I think belligerence is actually
a medical treatment.
Speaker 6 (09:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
You know, staying positive. But we've just crossed over something
very important.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
You said the word wedding.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
Yes. Yeah. I thought you.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
Guys were already married.
Speaker 5 (09:37):
We are.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
We are. Is that here?
Speaker 7 (09:40):
And then you're doing your dream wedding over.
Speaker 6 (09:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
With her family.
Speaker 6 (09:45):
Oh, nice.
Speaker 5 (09:45):
Nice.
Speaker 4 (09:46):
They're in Canada.
Speaker 5 (09:47):
So we're doing our wedding in Italy.
Speaker 4 (09:49):
Oh, cool.
Speaker 5 (09:50):
So we thought it was fair for both families to
travel to one spot.
Speaker 4 (09:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (09:55):
And that's where we got engaged.
Speaker 4 (09:57):
Yeah, you got engaged over there, I thought.
Speaker 6 (09:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
There we go.
Speaker 5 (10:00):
We were always going to do the legal ceremony here,
but we sort of pushed it forward while Jai's still.
Speaker 4 (10:05):
Wow. She made me.
Speaker 5 (10:07):
I made him.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
She dragged me down to the altar. She dragged you down.
Speaker 7 (10:11):
She made me marry her. At least when you got
down on one knee over there, you were sober.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (10:17):
Because the other times I've seen it in these.
Speaker 4 (10:19):
Oh, no. You could have walked. Look, I'm just saying.
That's just a little bit of the history, you know.
Speaker 7 (10:25):
I'll get you home, Giza.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
It's all right, bud. Come on. I'll carry you home, mate.
It's all good.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Giza.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
It looks like Frankenstein motions he's making there at the moment.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Yeah, so normally when you're taking a knee, it's because
you just need a little light there, isn't it?
Speaker 3 (10:40):
Marina, did you know about any of this?
Speaker 4 (10:44):
No.
Speaker 6 (10:44):
No.
Speaker 7 (10:45):
Maybe that's why we're not allowed to meet maybe ever.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
Is that right, John? No, please.
Speaker 6 (10:54):
Are there things.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
That you've had to cut out, like, as far as
part of the treatment and things like that? Like, can
you have alcohol? Are there things that you can't do
and have to stay away from?
Speaker 4 (11:07):
It's not ideal.
Speaker 6 (11:09):
Right.
Speaker 4 (11:10):
It's not ideal. But I am having wine here and there. Yeah.
And drinking, I'll never, ever give up.
Speaker 7 (11:20):
I won't.
Speaker 4 (11:23):
No chance. No chance.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
I mean, you're going to Italy.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
What are you going to do?
Speaker 2 (11:27):
Your brother's got to have a wife.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Yeah, you're right.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
This is going to be a strange question, but I mean,
I had a husband who had terminal cancer, so I
feel like I can ask it.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
Out of all the terrible.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
Things that comes with a disease like this, what has
been one of the great moments? Because incredible things do
come out of terrible tragedy. And we don't focus on that.
But it can be life-changing in the best possible way.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
In what way? Just a little bit.
Speaker 5 (12:03):
A little bit of M & T humour.
Speaker 4 (12:05):
I love it, yeah. I think for me at the
moment and what we.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
Are doing is a matter of help towards.
Speaker 6 (12:22):
Families and the amount of awareness and the way I
woke up following was pretty cool as well.
Speaker 5 (12:34):
Yeah, I think it's taken us on a different path
in life as well, naturally, trying to advocate for those
who have the disease, those who are sort of going
through a similar thing, and hopefully create something of our
own where we can help. kind of give back to
families and research and all that stuff because we're quite
passionate about it.
Speaker 6 (12:52):
Yeah, and we're in the position to do that.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
So you're changing lives.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
Yeah. That's massive.
Speaker 7 (13:00):
And this is the other thing I wanted to ask
you about being at South. You know, are you thankful
that you're there? Because I feel like that club, I've
always seen them get behind people you know, when they're
going through a bit of a tough thing and even
when they're teammates or staff. I just feel like that club,
and maybe Wayne has been a big part of that,
(13:22):
but are you just so thankful you've had them, that
team around you, and being at that club has probably
made it so much better?
Speaker 4 (13:30):
Yeah, I am, mate.
Speaker 6 (13:33):
I think what they're doing and have done for me
and my family, they've gone above and beyond.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
One of the other things that I think has been
amazing throughout the last few months, you know, July, July,
remember with the Tri celebration, the arrow, the arrow, and
just not just rugby, like across rugby league, but then
it went into surfing and it went all over.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
It was overseas, man. Everywhere.
Speaker 7 (13:58):
And that's what I can't, like, it has gone, you know,
incredibly far. Like, you know, you see Neil Denneher. from
AFL for 10 years, raised over $ 100- something million.
Speaker 4 (14:10):
People didn't know that.
Speaker 7 (14:13):
Mate, look, I have given you a bit of slack.
Speaker 4 (14:16):
I'm glad they do now. Yeah, and that's exactly right.
Speaker 7 (14:19):
But I think it's because of the person you are.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
You're a legend. You're a champion bloke. Um, you know, yeah, yeah.
You're always there for people, mate. So, um, look.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
As much as for those that can't see what's happening
in the other studio, Jai's pointing to Barina, listen to this,
listen to this.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
But it's true.
Speaker 7 (14:43):
Like, cause Kip even said to me one day that
he didn't think that you remembered who he was. And
one day that Kip said he was walking down the
airport and you yelled out, Hey Kip, how you going mate?
And I said to him, I said, that is, that's Jai.
I'm like, He respects everybody and as much of a
pain in the arse and a larrikin as you are,
you're a champion.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
Bloke, mate.
Speaker 7 (15:01):
And I think that has rubbed off on a lot
of people and you can see that with how far
this has gone.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
I appreciate it, mate. Well, good luck. Yeah, good luck.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
You guys have been so generous with all of your
time to the whole of Australia. So I hope you
get to have those really special moments just for you
and your family.
Speaker 4 (15:22):
We will. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thanks. Good
to see you. Good to talk to you. Am I
good to see you?
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Robin, Keith and Corey out in the morning.
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