Not for Penrith winger Brian To’o, who was sporting stitches above his right eye on Monday morning, but his fiance Moesha, who was almost the casualty of a sexy dance move gone wrong.
“I gave her a little lap dance, the boys were hyping me up to do it, the boys set me up,” To’o said with a smile.
“I ended up dancing, giving her a little lap dance for around 30 seconds until I went overboard and side kicked her in the head by accident.”
To’o and his partner Moesha Crichton-Ropati captured the hearts of the entire country after the NSW Blues winger dropped to one knee following Penrith’s grand final victory over South Sydney on Sunday night.
But it was an emotional night for Moesha even before a single ball was kicked or passed in Sunday’s grand final.
“When the boys came out, I was crying because I was so emotional they made the grand final, they deserved to be there last night,” she said.
“For them to get the win was even better and to get proposed to last night, the first thing that came into my head was ‘did you ask my parents?’."
Not only had To’o asked Moesha’s parents for their permission, the 23-year old revealed he was going to pop the question even if his side did not rise to premiership glory.
“Win or lose, I was still going to propose,” To’o said.
“I was actually planning [to do it] in Origin but obviously due to Covid and stuff, that didn’t happen.”
So with the title secured, To’o gathered his victorious teammates for some moral support and found Moesha in the crowd.
Then, in front of 39,000 people and millions more watching at home, To’o popped the question.
“I’m really happy that she got a ring and I got a ring as well,” To’o said.
“I just told her she is the best thing that has ever happened to me … got down on one knee and asked her to make me the happiest man and ‘will you marry me?’”
It’s not the first time the couple have stolen the show in grand final week.
To’o and his fiance lit up the Dally M red carpet, in particular Moesha, who wore a traditional Polynesian Tapa dress to the ceremony to represent the couple’s Samoan heritage.
“I always said to myself if Brian was ever invited to the Dally M’s, I would want to go traditional,” she said.
“Coming from our cultural background, there are not many of us in the spotlight.
“So being brown in a white community, I’m proud to be a brown person in a white community and to represent our culture on national television makes me proud.
“Half of it was Tongan Tapa wear and the bottom was Samoan Tapa wear. Brian has Tongan nieces and nephews, so it was representing both cultures.”
Passersby stopped to congratulate the couple at the club’s base at the Novotel at Twin Waters.
“You’re the story that Australia needs right now,” one woman told Moesha.
The pending nuptials are now a family affair at the foot of the mountains after star back Stephen Crichton confirmed he is related to To’o future wife.
“His fiance is my cousin so it’s really special. I’m really close with Bizza [To’o] and I’m really close to her so I’m really grateful and humbled for the front row experience when he proposed,” Crichton said.
“He told me [about the proposal], I think I was the only one he told because I went and bought the ring with him, me and my missus.
"He was a bit unsure of when to do it but he backed himself. He was planning it, I think it made it even more special that we won.”
Now that To’o has won the title and the heart of the love of his life, the blockbusting winger’s next big decision is who will be best man at the wedding.
Crichton said he is ‘hoping’ the family connection will mean he gets the nod.
But there is another teammate that is slightly higher on the best man pecking order, five-eighth Jarome Luai.
“He’s [Crichton] a bit of a pest but I can’t wait to be officially his cousin,” To’o said.
“I’m not sure, I haven’t figured it out yet … but probably Romy [Luai],” To’o said with a wry smile.
“I just wanted to get a ‘yes’ from her first, that was step one. Lucky she said yes.”
While marriage will officially tie the Crichtons and the To’os together, the time Penrith has spent in the Sunshine Coast hub has also helped bring the group closer together.
“I think this trip when we came up to Queensland really helped us, we see the boys, not just them footy selves but we see them behind the scenes with their kids. It’s really sweet seeing that side of them,” Crichton said.
RE-LIVE OUR COVERAGE BELOW
Originally published as NRL Grand Final 2021: Brian To'o proposes to girlfriend with premiership ring
Updates
A mighty performance. A mighty season. And a Clive Churchill medal to go with it.
It's been an outstanding 2021 for Nathan Cleary, who starred in Origin, steered his team to an NRL title and wins the Clive Churchill to cap it all off.
His kicking game was the difference tonight – the spearing bombs put South Sydney's back three under constant pressure and strangled them out of the game.
He's 23 years old and the best halfback in the game. And he has another decade at the top to come, at least.
Absolute freak of a player.
We'll close this blog and leave the final word to Nathan Cleary.
"We finally got here, we climbed Everest and we can't wait to get back to Penrith and party baby!"
…..a grand final win AND a proposal!
Brian To'o just won grand final night, by producing one of the best performances on the night – finishing with an insane 235m.
And he's capped it off by proposing to his girlfriend.
South Sydney's Cam Murray: "We were pretty proud of our defence first half and our coach said to stick to our brand of footy and play more down our end. We didn't give ourselves much opportunity. We needed to win more field position and we weren't able to do that in the second half and came up short."
Cam Murray, on Adam Reynolds: "We really wanted to go out on a high for him. I can't put into words how much he has done for our club, so proud of him. It is an honour to play with him for the first couple of years of my career. Sad to go out that way."
Isaah Yeo: "Never give up. Three in a row. No-one gave us a chance. To come away with it is bloody unreal mate."
Stephen Crichton, on his intercept try: "I got hammered from the defensive coach all week, from moving positions. I moved from fullback to centre to wing. I guess just sticking to our principles and that was the read that came out of it. 100% especially having Walker there he is one of the best in the league and eyes for the footy and space to put their players in. We did video on that during the week and I was there at the right time."
A brilliant performance from Penrith – who avenge their defeat last season and can be crowned the 2021 premiers.
Magnificent defence got them there. They did it the hard way – losing to South Sydney in week one, and bouncing back in the most brilliant way to win 14-12 in the gutsiest of wins.
Cody Walker will be looking for a hole to crawl into after it was his intercept that hurt South Sydney so dearly.
Stephen Crichton latched onto it, and sprinted away with the title.
It's heartbreak for Adam Reynolds, Walker and the rest of South Sydney and euphoria for Penrith.
Nathan Cleary's kicking game was the difference, for mine. His bombs in the second half turned the match and squeezed the life out of the Rabbitohs.
South Sydney will have one set to go the distance. Can they produce something miraculous?
Adam Reynolds tries…. he takes a shot at field goal from 40m out. But it falls short. Penrith will win, they just need to hold the ball!
Incredible, incredible performance.
A small delay here as the trainers look at Dane Gagai – who stays down after copping an accidental high shot from Matt Burton.
Could it have been a penalty?
"That's been a penalty all year… they shouldn't have been penalties, but they have been all year," says Phil Gould.
"Whether he's falling or whatever, they've penalised them all.
"If you can't penalise it at 14-12 in a grand final, you shouldn't penalise it all year."
Penrith 14 – 12 South Sydney
Six minutes to go and South Sydney have the ball in the right area of the park – thanks to a leg-pull penalty on the end of a great set of six.
And it's all they need.
Cody Walker does brilliantly to make up for his earlier error, attacks the left and puts Alex Johnson into a sliver of space – he slides over to bring Souths within two…. as Adam Reynolds steps up for the sideline conversion.
The Brisbane-bound kicker shaves the upright! Oh my!
There's five minutes to go. Is there more drama?
Penrith 14 – 8 South Sydney
Stephen Crichton! He may have just won the grand final!
Souths' left-edge comes unstuck again as Cody Walker looks to put Alex Johnson away down the sideline, but Stephen Crichton is wise to it.
He looms up and snatches the looping cut-off pass before scampering away the 40m for a try.
Gagai looked like he was into a hole, but the ball goes away from him – and into Crichton's hands.
A huge play. A match deciding play?
Nathan Cleary gets into the face of Walker and gives him a reminder of his error… then converts the try.
ENORMOUS PLAY
Matt Burton with a huge defensive effort to force Jaxson Paulo – who collects another bomb – into touch.
Penrith are again on the attack in the Rabbitohs' red zone.
They've spent all game here. Will Souths crack?
No! Tyrone May spills the ball under no pressure. There's 15 minutes to go in this one, and South Sydney refuse to wilt – and Penrith can find no way through.
Something has to give.
