In a truly heartwarming gesture, Brian To’o from the Penrith Panthers bought his parents a house, which has been a dream of his.
He posted to Instagram to share the achievement, saying he bought the home to pay back his mum and dad for their years of love and commitment to their children, saying that he is “so grateful to have these two amazing individuals in his life.”
To'o, like many others in the Pasifika community, dreamed of giving back to his parents in a truly meaningful way. Paying back all the sacrifices and hard work that his immigrant parents made to ensure he and his siblings had the best future possible.
To realise the dream, To’o used his State of Origin salary to buy the house. The $45,000 (NZ$49,500) he earned from last year's Origin series was immediately put towards a loan to ensure he could purchase the place.
That paycheque was the first he earned for his play in the biggest rivalry in league, just proving how much he values family in his life.
He also spent $10,000 (NZ$11,000) on a headstone for his sister, who passed away in 2018.
The winger was working in a factory before being signed to the Penrith Panthers in 2019 and absolutely scorching the NRL since, scoring 38 tries in his 61 games since signing.
He also played a huge role in the Panthers becoming NRL champs last year, torturing the Rabbitohs defence and playing the whole 80 minutes - achieving 238 running metres during that time, the most in the game.
It’s awesome to see a young man like To’o work had to be one of the best at what he does and then give so much back to his parents.
We wish To’o all the best in the future - it’s going to be really easy cheering him on.
