Wayne Bennett may have missed the opportunity to buy a special T-shirt celebrating Jai Arrow's 100th match for the Rabbitohs, yet the accomplished coach feels immense pride in how the sport has rallied around him during this tough period.
Arrow is set to play his milestone game on Friday night, and, similar to last week at the Gold Coast, he will be substituted out after the whistle, following a heartfelt scene where the crowd sang You'll Never Walk Alone.
The heartfelt moment of Bennett assisting Arrow with his socks and boots stirred strong emotions, especially with a large crowd anticipated at Allianz Stadium to honor the former representative player, who had to retire after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
On Friday morning, Arrow and his young family visited Souths headquarters, where fans eagerly lined up to purchase the commemorative T-shirt.
"I presented his jersey to him this morning for his 100th game, so it was really good," Bennett said.
"It does mean something. We wouldn't be doing it if it didn't mean something. It means an enormous amount to the player personally.
"The game has gotten behind it, so it's something really worthwhile and something we can all be proud of."
On Friday night, the sport's oldest rivalry will take a brief hiatus as Roosters coach Trent Robinson commended the Rabbitohs for their support of Arrow.