The NRL grand final will open with a tribute to retired South Sydney star Jai Arrow, according to Fox Sports. The same report says the league's pre-match entertainment for the decider has now been settled, though the act has not been publicly named.
Fox Sports framed the announcement with the phrase "stay tuned," indicating the NRL intends to reveal the performer or performers at a later point. The Australian reported that the entertainment choice is tied to Peter V'landys, without naming the act. Nine.com.au described the tribute to Arrow as emotional and placed it at the start of the grand final, following what it called a pre-match entertainment debacle.
Context around the fixture has been dominated by comparisons with rival codes. The Age reported that the AFL has secured Kylie, while Echuca has Tones and I, and characterised the NRL's position as being snubbed. ESPN reported separately that the grand final will honour the retired Souths star.
The grand final is scheduled for Wednesday, 30 September 2026, based on the publication date of the Fox Sports report. No further details on the tribute's format or the entertainment lineup have been confirmed in the reporting summarised here.
What to watch next: the NRL's official confirmation of the pre-match entertainment act, and the final details of how the Jai Arrow tribute will be staged.
