Brutal new WAG fallout after Jai Arrow's 'stupid' Covid breach
Dumped Queensland Origin star Jai Arrow has been dealt another brutal blow after the inexplicable Covid-19 breach that saw him sent home from Maroons camp.
The South Sydney forward was hit with a $35,000 fine and banned for two matches, including next Wednesday's Origin clash in Newcastle, after sneaking a woman into their Gold Coast camp in a breach of the NRL's COVID-19 rules.
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Arrow has been widely condemned across the rugby league world, with stunned former players labelling him "selfish" and "stupid".
Perhaps the biggest reality check for the 25-year-old has come from his on-again, off-again girlfriend Taylah Cannon.
Arrow and Cannon - a former Miss World Australia - appeared to be back on after they were photographed outside the Origin sheds after Game I in Townsville.
However, judging by Cannon's social media activity, Arrow's indiscretion looks to have signalled an end to their relationship.
A Sydney Morning Herald report described the woman Arrow smuggled into his hotel room as a "dancer", with SMH writer Andrew Webster revealing that Cannon has now "unfollowed" the star forward on Instagram as a result of the scandal.
“It’s very costly. $35,000, isolated for 14 days, not playing for Queensland and unfollowed on Instagram by his long-time girlfriend. It was a very big week for Jai Arrow,” Webster told SEN.
The 25-year-old has been forced to leave camp and travel back to Sydney where he will have to do 14 days of home isolation.
He will also miss South Sydney's round-18 match with Canterbury, with the NRL incredibly forced to engage additional 24-hour security to the Maroons' team hotel to ensure the squad's compliance with the game's biosecurity protocols.
Arrow apologised in a statement on Thursday night but he's receiving little sympathy, particularly given his blatant breach came just days after 13 St George Illawarra players were punished for their house party that saw host Paul Vaughan sacked.
Maroons legend Cooper Cronk said he actually thought Arrow's punishment was lenient and argued that he should have "got another two weeks (ban) for stupidity".
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"Seriously, not even a week after the hysteria around Paul Vaughan and the Dragons and what happened," Cronk said on Fox Sports' NRL 360.
"I think the two-game suspension is light. He probably should have got another two for stupidity.
"Jai Arrow knew what he was doing and blatantly disregarded the rules.
"He's put the game, the competition, all in jeopardy because of his selfish actions."
Arrow's exit comes with Queensland staring down the barrel of the biggest series defeat in Origin history, the Blues winning by a combined 76-6 to seal the series in Brisbane late last month.
Captain Daly Cherry-Evans admitted post-match the Blues appeared more motivated than them to win the series and former Queensland prop Corey Parker also questioned their desire to wear Maroon.
"My first reaction was, how stupid? How stupid can you be?" Parker said.
"You're pulling on a Maroons jersey and in my opinion you're showing disrespect to that jersey by the fact you've put yourself before the team.
"That's the most disappointing thing.
"I've got no doubt the people that are pulling on those Queensland jerseys, if you ask them what Queensland means to them it would be everything.
"The difference between what it means to you and what you show in your actions, they're two different things."
with AAP
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