Bennett goes berserk and bans Arrow from bike
WAYNE Bennett has banned Jai Arrow from riding his brand new $40,000 Harley-Davidson, fearing a freak road accident could wipe his defensive hit man out of Sunday’s grand final.
Keen to treat himself for playing his 100th NRL game against the Roosters last month, Arrow went on a shopping spree on the Gold Coast looking for an appropriate gift.
The Queensland Origin star walked away with a shiny new Harley-Davidson, but when he turned up to Souths’ team hotel during the finals holding a helmet, Bennett went into meltdown.
“I’ve told Jai he’s not riding a bloody motorbike,” Bennett said on the eve of the grand final. “If he gets knocked off the bike, I could lose a player in grand final week. I turned on the radio the other day … there’s 200 people who have been killed this year on Queensland roads and 50 of those are motorbike riders. I wasn’t happy when I saw Jai with his helmet.”
Arrow, who has been a revelation for the Bunnies this season, confirmed he copped a stinging rebuke from Bennett.
“Wayne isn’t too happy with me,” he said. “Not too many people know I have it. My dad called me an idiot and mum called me stupid. … I’m loving the bike.
“I just won’t be on it until after the grand final.”