It comes after To’o was ruled out for Penrith with a hamstring injury.
Fans have called out Brian To’o and the Penrith Panthers over an incident in Las Vegas that seems to laugh in the face of the star winger’s hamstring injury. To’o was this week ruled out of the four-time defending premiers’ NRL season opener against Cronulla in the United States, in what is the last of four matches lighting up Vegas on Saturday (Sunday AEDT).
Despite the hamstring issue that has forced Penrith into a backline reshuffle, To’o was seen backflipping, cartwheeling and breakdancing on stage, during an official NRL fan event before the weekend. Supporters from Australia, England, New Zealand, America and other parts of the world lined the Fremont Street precinct in Vegas that has been transformed into an NRL broadcast hub in the lead-up to Sunday’s extravaganza.
At one point, the two on-stage emcees challenged each team to nominate their best dancer to hype up the crowd, with Jillaroos star Sarah Togatuki, plus Sharks pair Braydon Trindall and Will Kennedy delivering memorable cameos. But many viewers thought it was a bit odd to see To’o get up and showcase his famous dance moves, considering he’s carrying a hamstring injury and has been ruled out of action.
The fact the Panthers winger didn’t really hold back just made it even worse for many fans. To’o almost landed on his head after failing to stick the landing on a backflip, before nonchalantly carrying on his dance routine. He then dramatically grabbed at his troublesome hamstring to pretend like he’d aggravated the injury, before busting out more moves to prove he was fine.
The stunt did not go down well with many fans though, with many questioning what an injured player was doing breakdancing on stage. To’o could easily have made the hamstring worse or even suffered another injury in the process, and viewers were quick to call out the Panthers and their winger over the incident.
Fans question why injured Brian To’o was dancing on stage
“Hang on, bra as a panthers supporter aren’t you injured?” one person replied to the video of To’o dancing on Instagram. “Imagine if he did an ACL doing this,” another shot back. A third questioned saracastically: “(Is) That part of the recovery plan? accompanied by a laughing emoji, while a fourth wrote: “Bizza hamstring must be ok if he can still dance.”
Speaking amidst the backlash at his performance on stage, To’o revealed afterwards that despite the injury he couldn’t resist the challenge to showcase his dancing skills. “I had to represent the brothers so that just pretty much came out,” he said on the red carpet. “(It was) a bit of a test and it looks pretty good.”
Penrith coach Cleary is usually unflappable but admitted the scenes made him feel more than a little nervous, after indicating To’o would likely return in round two. “I’ve got to be honest, I was freaking out a bit,” the Panthers coach said. “But he seems to have pulled up okay. That’s good news.”
To’o also confirmed he would be back on the field “pretty soon” after his omission from the Vegas opener sparked a shock backline reshuffle from Penrith coach Cleary. Many thought the older McLean brother Jesse, 20, would win the spot vacated by To’o and join his younger brother Casey on the opposite wing.
However, the Penrith coach made the shock call to bring second-rower Luke Garner into the centres and push Paul Alamoti onto the wing for the showdown against the Sharks. The match follows the first game of the new NRL season between Canberra and the Warriors and will see 18-year-old winger Casey McLean become the youngest first-choice Panthers starter since their premiership dominance began in 2020.
The teenager took his chance in a handful of impressive displays for Penrith last season, that ultimately earned him a Kiwi Test call-up. The 18-year-old McLean scored four tries against PNG on his international debut for New Zealand and To’o admits his fellow winger is a superstar of the future.
“He’s got a big future ahead of him,” To’o said about Casey McLean. “He pretty much showcased his skills last year. There’s a reason why he’s in the team. I can’t wait for him… I’m obviously gutted that I can’t play but I’m super excited to see the boys do their thing.”
