Amy Shark was joined by Dave Gleeson, Phil Jamieson, Reuben Styles and Neve van Boxsel for a special NRL Grand Final tribute to Jai Arrow.
Amy Shark brought together musicians from across Australian rock for a special performance honouring Jai Arrow at the NRL Grand Final on Sunday night.
The Australian indie pop singer-songwriter opened the pre-game tribute at Sydney’s Accor Stadium with “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, soundtracking a lap of honour for recently retired South Sydney Rabbitohs star Jai Arrow and former Wallaby Nathan Charles, who have both been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
Shark was then joined by Screaming Jets frontman Dave Gleeson, who took the lead on 4 Non Blondes’ “What’s Up?”. Peking Duk’s Reuben Styles played guitar while Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers drummer Neve van Boxsel joined behind the kit.
Grinspoon frontman Phil Jamieson completed the all-Australian lineup for the finale, joining Shark and Gleeson for Tina Turner’s “The Best”.
The song has a particularly strong connection to rugby league through Turner’s famous campaigns for the sport in the early 1990s.
“You’ll Never Walk Alone” carried its own significance for Arrow. As Tone Deaf reported ahead of the Grand Final, the Gerry and the Pacemakers classic accompanied him onto the field for his 100th and final appearance for South Sydney last month.
Arrow was subsequently awarded the 2026 Provan-Summons Medal, which recognises a player who embodies the spirit of rugby league, following the scenes surrounding his final appearances.
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During Sunday’s tribute, Arrow and Charles travelled around the stadium as thousands of fans raised their arms in a bow-and-arrow gesture following a message from legendary rugby league commentator Ray Warren.
The final lineup also differed slightly from what had been reported ahead of the Grand Final. Peking Duk did not perform as a duo, with Styles instead appearing individually as part of the band.
For Shark, the performance marked a return to the NRL Grand Final stage six years after she headlined the 2020 pre-game entertainment. The Gold Coast singer-songwriter, a longtime Titans supporter, was previously described by the NRL as part of the “rugby league family” ahead of that performance.
