Jack Wighton would have been impressed by the mateship on display at his future club when South Sydney’s Jai Arrow made the 1800km round trip to watch Liam Knight’s emotional return to the game.
Knight made his comeback from a ruptured MCL and ACL – not to mention a well-documented battle with alcohol and prescription medication addiction – in a NSW Cup game for Souths on Saturday afternoon in Wagga Wagga.
Wighton and the Raiders just edged out Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins in the main event, but as the Redfern-bound international warmed up, a bleary-eyed Arrow was embracing Knight on one side of the ground.
Arrow was excellent again in the powerhouse win over the Broncos in Brisbane on Friday night, had three beers back at the team hotel, then struggled to sleep because of the adrenaline, something footballers deal with each weekend.
He hopped in a maxi cab bound for Brisbane airport at 4.45am with coach Jason Demetriou and players Blake Taaffe and Ben Lovett, who were due to join Knight in the NSW Cup.
Arrow flew to Sydney at 6am, boarded a second flight at 9am to Wagga Wagga and then surprised Knight at the ground.
Liam Knight and Jai Arrow.Credit: NRL Photos
Another close friend, injured Cronulla cult hero Toby Rudolf, was on the same flight from Sydney, and also made a point of making the trek for Knight’s return.
“He had no idea I was coming, he sat up with this big smile on his face when he saw him,” Arrow told this masthead.
“I’ve seen him go through a lot, you never want to see your mates struggle, and this game was a long time coming for the big fella. I think it’s been 10 months since he last played. It’s great to see him rip in and enjoy his footy again. He’s been pretty public about everything he’s gone through. He’s worked his arse off to get back to where he is.”
Arrow and Knight lived together in Bronte, with Knight telling this masthead how Arrow was the most boring housemate he had encountered.
Arrow and Knight at their Bronte home last year.Credit: Louise Kennerley
“All he does is come home, watch TV, order Uber Eats, then go to bed; Jai only comes to life after five schooners,” Knight said at the time.
But Arrow quit the drink to support Knight, 28, while on his the road to recovery.
“He was going through his battles last year, and I didn’t want to give him an opportunity to drink; I tried to feed off his energy and the way he was feeling,” said Arrow, who made sure his couple of blowouts only came when Knight was not present.
“I haven’t had any sleep today, but I only had the three beers on Friday night, so I wasn’t hungover for Liam.”
Rudolf, who is nursing a toe injury, had hoped Knight would return via reserve grade a week earlier in Sydney, “which would have been much cheaper for me”.
“But I was never going to miss this game, and it will be a nice surprise for him,” Rudolf said. “He’s come so far in the five or six months since he’s been out of rehab, and he’s put in the work every day with his knee. He’s just a good person and it’s good to see him doing so well.”
Arrow flew back to Sydney at 5pm, but Rudolf was “keen as” to get among it with the locals in the bush.
Souths lost to Canberra with Knight, who is off contract at the end of the year, desperate to return to the NRL. His last game in the top flight was round eight last year.
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