Origin 2021: Brian To’o and Jarome Luai’s boom box playlist revealed
Jarome Luai and Brian To’o were the talk of Origin after their debuts — and their post-match antics had fans in raptures as they crashed an interview in style.
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It shouldn’t have been a surprise to see Jarome Luai, Brian To’o and their boombox crash James Tedesco’s pre-game Origin interview last night because the three are a package deal.
Be it for Penrith, or now for New South Wales, where Luai or To’o goes the other will follow and the boombox will be with them, blaring tunes all the while.
It’s part of the exuberance and energy that’s made Luai and To’o the breakout stars of the Blues 50-6 victory in the series opener, and the beats kept pumping after the match.
“Romey always walks in with the boombox going. He even did that when Brian To’o was getting stitched up after the game, he walked into the doctor’s room with the stereo going just to lighten the mood,” said Penrith and New South Wales trainer Hayden Knowles.
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“Bizza’s family were all waiting around and he was getting treated by the doctor, so Romey came in dancing and I reckon it was the most fun our doctor ever had putting stitches in someone’s eye.”
Most of the time Luai’s playlist is heavy on one of Mt Druitt’s other famous exports, drill group OneFour and there’s plenty of other rap tunes to get him and his teammates fired up.
But there’s variety as well, and Luai is happy to cede DJ duties if need be.
“Every now and then he’ll put on a slower one or some Boyz II Men might get a start,” Knowles said.
“The bus ride is all Romey’s mix but when we get in the sheds Paul Sironen still puts his playlist on, he’s pulling rank a little bit.”
Luai and To’o have been the biggest hit of Blues camp with their exuberance and energy shining through even under the harsh pressure of Origin football.
Plenty of great players have been like a deer in the headlights in their first taste of Origin footy Luai and To’o refused to let themselves be spooked – all week they kept the same vibes and attitude as they do every week at the Panthers.
“At Penrith we call Romey the CEO — the chief energy officer,” Knowles said.
“There was one session in camp where I needed to make sure the energy was right and Freddy gave me a little nudge and said ‘go remind him of the job you give him at Penrith’.
“All I do is go over and say “CEO” and he says “I’ve got you brother” and he sets the energy of whatever we’re doing.”
Luai and To’o have been the hit of the Origin series so far and both will undoubtedly have many more Blues jerseys bearing their name in the years to come.
While fans are familiar with their on-field success after Penrith’s rise over the past 12 months, Origin has shown another side of the duo.
“I can’t speak highly enough of Bizza and Jarome as people. Of course they’re competitors and they’re tough, they’ve grown up tough and they have that about them,” Knowles said.
“But they made a video singing happy birthday to my daughter yesterday, on game day, the biggest day of their lives. They still took out five minutes to do something for someone else.
“I got sick of defending them to Joe Blow public that was influenced by little agendas that week after we played Canberra.
“To call those guys arrogant is the furthest thing from the truth in my opinion. Now I think the whole state is in love with them, I won’t have to defend them anymore.”
LUAI AND TO’O’S ORIGIN PLAYLIST
OneFour – The Message
The drill rappers, who also hail from Mt Druitt and are of Samoan descent, have become one of Australia’s most popular acts in recent years and their signature track is a must for any pre-game pump up playlist.
HP Boyz – Engineers
Another newer act, the Melbourne group are a little more chilled out than OneFour’s heavier tracks. Essential for relaxing after training or winding down post-game to celebrate a win.
Boyz II Men – End of the Road
A modern classic that’s guaranteed to fire up a singalong – just make sure To’o and Luai are leading the way on the harmonies because the boys have some strong vocal chords on them.
Lead singer of Boyz II Men, Wanya Morris just gave Jarome Luai, Brian To'o and the Penrith Panthers the ultimate shout out ðŸ‘
— Fox League (@FOXNRL) May 2, 2021
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Apink – Mr Chu
An unusual choice – K-pop isn’t exactly the most rugby league of music genres – but as Luai and To’o showed in the lead up to the match there’s few better tracks for a dance video on Instagram or TikTok.
Darius Rucker – Wagon Wheel
Luai admitted last week he’d been throwing on a bit of country music to keep the likes of Latrell Mitchell, Josh Addo-Carr and Tariq Sims onside and this beauty is one of the all time crowd pleasers.
THE TO’O NO SHOW THAT IMPRESSED CLEARY
James Phelps
Brian To’o worked 10-hour days supporting his family while he chased his NRL dream.
Now the Blues’ newest hero will spend his well-earned State of Origin payments to buy his parents their dream home.
The 22-year-old from Mt Druitt enjoyed a stellar debut in a NSW jersey, scoring two tries and running for 220 metres to help the Blues thrash Queensland 50-6 and take a one-nil series lead.
To’o’s performance ensured he would be retained for Origin II in Brisbane on June 27 as the Blues try to wrap up the series.
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The Panthers winger stands to collect $45,000 in bonus payments for the three Origin matches, with plans already in place on how to spend it.
“We are going to see the finance guys next week,” his manager, Sam Ayoub said on Thursday.
“He will put that money toward getting a loan to buy his family a new home.”
Taking care of his family isn’t a new phenomenon for To’o, who used to work the 3am shift at the TNT warehouse in western Sydney as he came through the Panthers’ junior ranks.
Coach Ivan Cleary learnt that during pre-season in 2019 when he noticed he was one player short at training.
“Are we missing somebody?” Cleary inquired, feeling silly even asking the question. Players did not miss the first day of training. Ever.
“Who?” Cleary asked when he found out a player was AWOL.
It was a development player. A 20-year-old who had just been promoted into the top-squad. A young winger named Brian To’o.
Cleary steamed into the office and picked up his phone.
“Oh yeah coach, what’s up?” To’o said as he answered the call.
“Where are you mate?” Cleary said.
“Why … Oh shit,” To’o said. “Are we training?”
“Yes,” Cleary replied. “Where are you?”
“I’m at work,” To’o said.
Cleary did not even know To’o had a job. That he worked in factory. Ten hours a day.
“Oh okay,” said Cleary.
“Well get back to it. But make sure you are here tomorrow.”
Cleary soon found out that the young NRL want to be had worked every day of the off-season. That he had taken the job so his family could pay their bills.
Cleary retold the story of Brian’s 2019 no-show yesterday when asked whether or not he ever thought To’o would become a State of Origin star.
“Well no,” Cleary said after To’o scored two tries and ran for 220 meters to become NSW’s Blue sensation.
“I guess you never think of players going on to do that when they are 20. But I suppose that little story tells you something about the kid.
“I didn’t know him that well at the time and it showed me just what of person he was. No one knew he was working. He didn’t tell anyone. He just went and did it because he wanted to help his family. Now two years later he is killing it at Origin level. It is just a great story.”
Cleary heaped praise on To’o – and the four other Panthers that made their NSW’s debut – for standing tall as NSW piled on the points in a record flogging.
“They were great debuts. From the very first touches, they were all there to play. There was no wondering. No fear. They played like they normal would and that takes a lot of courage and shows what they are all about.”
Cleary was not the only one who did not see that To’o was a State of Origin star in the making.
“Everyone said he was too small,” said To’o’s manager Liam Ayoub.
“Not just for Origin but for the NRL. But the kid is a freak. He has always had the skill but it is his drive and commitment that separates him from the rest.”
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