The National Rugby League’s newest expansion franchise, the PNG Chiefs, has pulled off another high-profile recruitment coup, locking in Penrith Panthers premiership-winning winger Brian To’o on a three-year contract that will see him join the club at the beginning of the 2028 season. To’o, a four-time NRL premiership winner with the Panthers, will complete one final season with the Penrith-based side in 2027 before making the move north to link up with his close friend and former Panthers teammate Jarome Luai at the Papua New Guinea-based franchise, which is currently building its roster ahead of its inaugural entry into the NRL competition.
In announcing the signing, PNG Chiefs chief executive Lorna McPherson emphasized that the addition of To’o extends far beyond the club’s on-field goals. “Brian is an exceptional rugby league player, but this signing is about much more than football,” McPherson said. “The PNG Chiefs will be a club proudly built in Papua New Guinea but with a strong Pacific identity. Across our region, family, culture, community, and rugby league are deeply connected, and Brian represents those values every time he takes the field.”
To’o, who is fiercely proud of his Samoan heritage and known for his tight-knit family bonds, embodies the regional identity the PNG franchise is working to build, McPherson added. “He understands what it means to represent something bigger than yourself. That is exactly the kind of person we want wearing the Chiefs jersey. We want young people across Papua New Guinea and the Pacific to look at this team and see themselves in it. Brian choosing to become part of the Chiefs sends a powerful message about the club we are building and what this team can represent for our region, and we are incredibly proud to welcome him, his wife and children into the Chiefs family.”
A Panthers junior product, To’o made his first-grade debut for the club in 2019, and has gone on to claim four NRL premiership titles across his tenure with the side. The 27-year-old has also earned representative honours, turning out for both New South Wales in State of Origin and Samoa internationally. A powerful, consistent performer on the flank, To’o has crossed for 99 tries across his 144 first-grade appearances for Penrith, and is widely regarded as one of the game’s best outside backs for his ability to generate valuable yardage from the backfield.
Penrith head coach Ivan Cleary paid tribute to To’o’s contributions to the Panthers dynasty, praising both his on-field skill and off-field character. “Brian is an exceptional player, but he’s an even better person. He’s a great teammate, a devoted family man and someone who brings so much energy and positivity to our club every day,” Cleary said. “He’s been a huge part of what we’ve built here and we’re looking forward to sharing one more season with him before he begins his next chapter.”
To’o is the latest high-profile name to commit to the PNG Chiefs, joining former Panthers playmaker Jarome Luai and ex-St George Illawarra centre Zac Lomax as the expansion side continues to assemble a competitive inaugural squad. The signing comes as Penrith faces a wave of upcoming player contract changes: three of the club’s star players, including head coach Ivan Cleary’s son Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo and Liam Martin, are all set to become free agents when their current deals expire at the end of November 2027.
Panthers chief executive Matt Cameron said the club respects the right of all its out-of-contract players to choose their next career step, including To’o. “The club has maintained a strong position that this cohort of players has absolutely earned the right to choose what is the next step in their rugby league journey,” Cameron said. “We are so proud of what Brian has been able to do for our community and fully respect the decision he has made. It’s an exciting period for the game as the NRL continues to grow, and we believe a strong competition is ultimately good for rugby league.”