Storm star Jahrome Hughes infamously mocked Penrith’s Mt Druitt roots and it helped spark a premiership dynasty
It was the sledge so hurtful Panthers players could only watch one second of the video. Four years on, the Storm star who made the fatal social media error could pay the ultimate price.
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Brian To’o could bear only to watch “a second” of Melbourne halfback Jahrome Hughes’ infamous video mocking him and his Penrith teammates from Mt Druitt.
That second, however, would help spark Penrith’s premiership dynasty.
High on the fumes of grand final victory after defeating the Panthers in 2020, Hughes made a fatal social media error.
In the midst of celebrations Hughes posted a video mocking the blue-collar roots of Mt Druitt, where Penrith stars To’o, Jarome Luai and at the time Stephen Crichton called home.
The video reportedly showed Hughes making fun of the players from the western Sydney suburb, imitating hand signals and a dance known as the “Mounty bop” – which To’o has used as a try celebration.
It was quickly taken down but not before then assistant coach Cameron Ciraldo made a copy of the video.
Ciraldo played the vision to Penrith players in the lead-up to the side’s preliminary final against Melbourne in 2021.
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“When we first watched it, it was hard to watch,” To’o said.
“We only watched a second of it. We didn’t want to watch any more of it.
“We just wanted to let our footy do the talking. It was good to win that grand final in 2021.“
The video sent shockwaves through the room that day. Prop Moses Leota noted “we did take it personally”.
It also fuelled a fire that would burn through Melbourne in 2021 and emerge as motivation in Penrith’s run to three-straight premierships.
To Luai, it felt like a personal attack not only directed at his teammates but at the community that Penrith’s Pacific Islander players are fiercely proud and protective of.
“It was pretty big back then,” Luai said.
“Obviously they were drunk and celebrating, and probably then phones shouldn’t be out when they’re in that state.
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“But we got a hold of it, and yeah, to play that in front of us … it was a pretty surreal thing to be honest.
“He name dropped Mt Druitt and we took that personally and we understood we had to be protective of our homes.
“We took it as a bit of an attack against us and used that as fuel.”
Even hard-nosed backrower Liam Martin, who originally hails from Temora, took it as an affront to the Penrith community, which has shaped the Panthers identity.
“We did carry it with us. It burned in us for quite a while there,” Martin said.
“It was about the club and the community’s honour. The community means so much to every single player here, it always will.
“It’s our identity and we want to protect that.
“The mocking of us, particularly the boys from that area, really took it to heart.
“It got to me even though it probably wasn’t directed at me, but to see how it made my teammates feel it did encourage the rest of us as well to stand up for the area.”
A contrite Hughes eventually apologised for the video, insisting he did not mean to “disrespect anyone or any area.”
Despite the sting that the video left, Luai won’t be drawing on it ahead of Sunday’s grand final against Hughes’ Melbourne at Accor Stadium.
But the Wests Tigers bound five-eighth conceded that Penrith’s loss in the 2020 grand final to the Storm was a catalyst in the club’s quest to four-straight titles.
“I probably won’t draw on that this time,” Luai said.
“But I think the loss in 2020 in general really shaped us as a team. So it’s cool to be playing them again in a grand final after they sort of started this run for us. We learned a lot about what it takes to win big games.
“I think over the years we have learned about ourselves but you could definitely say Melbourne has helped us start this journey so to be here now going up against them is an opportunity for us, not to show them, but to show everyone what we have built on our own.”
For Penrith, no external motivation is greater than the piece of rugby league history on the line this weekend.
A fourth-straight title will put the Panthers in rarefied air as only the third club, after Eastern Suburbs and South Sydney, to achieve that feat in the 117-year history of the competition.
But To’o will carry the western Sydney community, the same one he was willing to equivocally defend after Hughes’ jibes, when he runs out onto Accor Stadium on Sunday night.
“That’s my purpose every day, even on Sunday, to represent all those kids from western Sydney. It will always be for my family and my community,” To’o said.
“There are heaps of young kids that are depending on me to be that role model. If they are having trouble believing in or trusting in someone, I want to be that person, the light for them.
“Now that I have a son, it not only drives me to not only do my job as a footy player but also to be a good person for all the kids from the area as well.
“I want to be able to showcase my skills and show kids dreams can come true.”
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