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Maroons Aim to Keep Arrow on the Straight and Narrow

Queensland Rugby League chairman Bruce Hatcher has backed Jai Arrow to bounce back from his drama-charged Origin series this season, declaring the forward firebrand can one day captain the Maroons.


Arrow endured a rollercoaster 2021 NRL campaign, with the Maroons workhorse fined $35,000 by the NRL and suspended for Origin III after breaching Covid protocols in the lead-up to the final game of the series on the Gold Coast.


It was one of the darkest periods of Arrow’s career.


He went back to club side Souths with his tail between his legs, forced into Covid quarantine as he personally apologised to coach Wayne Bennett and his teammates for the unnecessary distraction.


But the veteran of nine Origin matches quickly bounced back from his Queensland saga, producing some outstanding form off the bench for Souths as Arrow helped the Rabbitohs to this year’s grand final against Penrith.


While the Bunnies were beaten in the decider – and Arrow’s night ended early after suffering a concussion ­– his strong finish to the season atoned somewhat for his Queensland Origin indiscretion.


At the time of Arrow’s Covid breach, Hatcher was bitterly disappointed and suggested the QRL would dish out their own punishment to the 26-year-old at the end of the season.


But with the dust having well and truly settled on the matter, Hatcher is moving on, hoping the Queensland tackling machine does not step out of line again.


“We won’t be taking any further action against Jai,” Hatcher said.


“We don’t want to hammer Jai. He has already suffered financially and personally and he ended up playing in the grand final for Souths, so it was great to see the way he copped it on the chin and fought his way back.”


Since his Origin debut in 2018, Arrow has been a cornerstone of Queensland’s pack, setting the attitudinal standards for the Maroons with his work ethic, toughness and consistent ability to punch above his weight in the pack.


With 32-year-old halfback Daly Cherry-Evans in his twilight years as Queensland captain, the Maroons must consider a skipper succession plan and Hatcher says Arrow has leadership potential.


For that reason, rather than throw the book at Arrow, Hatcher wants to speak to the former Titans lock about driving Queensland’s Origin standards.


“I have always seen Jai as potentially a future leader of Queensland,” he said.

“As chairman, it’s essential we have a chat to him about the whole affair and make sure it doesn’t happen again.


“It would be just a discussion around what happened. Jai is a good person, and has impressed people in the Queensland set-up with his leadership traits. So we’re hoping it’s a one-off for Jai.


“We talk very strongly in all areas of our Maroon involvement about our values and principles and – I think rightly so – Jai got penalised by the NRL for what happened.


“I want to make sure, if at all possible, that we can have a sensible discussion about it and move on.


“On behalf of the QRL, all our Origin players effectively signed up to the Maroons’ standards.


“If you have a breach of that, you have to ask the question about what caused it so it doesn’t happen again.


“We don’t want this issue to endure, but Jai has to understand how important his role in that Queensland side is.”


During his time in isolation, Arrow decided to impose a booze ban in Souths’ run to the grand final.


He said he owed Bennett, who coached Arrow during Queensland’s epic 2020 series boilover of the Blues, for helping him through his Origin ordeal.


“I had a lot of time to reflect and question myself as a person,” Arrow said.


“People that question my character don’t know me from a bar of soap. I will do anything for anyone. That’s me as a person, and I’ll continue to do that.


“I got off the drink, and my mind and body was refreshed.


“If I didn’t have Wayne Bennett, it would have been 10 times worse for me. The way he, the club and coaching staff backed me definitely helped and got me through it.


“It was obviously a tough time, but I had to move forward. I’m not someone to dwell on things and mope around.


“Playing for Queensland is the ultimate for me, and I’m determined to give my all for the Maroons next season.”

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