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Standard knowledge says a winger cannot win the Clive Churchill Medal for greatest participant within the NRL grand last.
It is by no means occurred within the awards’ 37-year historical past, with playmakers and infrequently forwards dominating the record of previous winners as exterior backs get disregarded within the chilly.
The bookies predict it to occur once more, with Brisbane’s Reece Walsh and Penrith’s Nathan Cleary heat favourites to take it house after Sunday’s decider.
But when ever a winger might win it, it is Brian To’o, and if he cannot do it then it in all probability cannot be achieved in any respect as a result of it is arduous to see a winger doing greater than what To’o has managed in Penrith’s most important wins over their exceptional four-season run.
The highlight is all the time drawn in direction of backbone gamers however To’o has quietly put collectively a popularity as the most effective big-game performers in the complete sport. It is arduous to think about a winger doing extra on the most important stage.
He was at it once more in Penrith’s 38-4 win over Melbourne within the preliminary last when he scored three tries, ran for 181 metres and broke 9 tackles.
After the match, To’o was limping round on a sore calf and appeared like he’d simply been in a automobile crash, however that is commonplace for the nuggety Samoan worldwide. The bumps and bruises he wears aren’t an occupational hazard — they’re why he does what he does on the sector.
“I all the time have the urge to return off that discipline and really feel busted up, however I all the time need extra of it. I am unable to get sufficient of it,” To’o mentioned.
“It is all the time part of the job however I find it irresistible. I really like the physicality, the battle between two groups.
“With the massive events, everybody has to play their position and do their half. That is all I am making an attempt to do; I simply need to do my job to the most effective of my skill.”
The most effective of To’o’s skill has confirmed itself to be fairly rattling good, and the numbers he is put up over the previous few finals sequence are completely wild.
He is acquired 182cm and 97kg of Samoan metal at his disposal and, by God, he will use it the one method he is aware of how — by working the ball over and over and over till there’s no one else to run it at.
To’o has scored 12 tries in 11 finals matches because the begin of 2020, together with not less than one in every of Penrith’s 4 preliminary last wins and in three throughout two completely different grand finals.
Over the previous three finals sequence, To’o has averaged 24 carries, 229.5 metres and 6.75 deal with busts per recreation and proven a fantastic knack for peaking on the proper time.
In 2021, it was his attempt simply after half-time that put Penrith in management of their epic preliminary last win over Melbourne, which he scored on a busted ankle.
Final yr he was at it once more with a long-range intercept attempt that flipped the script within the prelim win over Souths and on the way in which he despatched Cody Walker to the land of wind and ghosts with a hellacious fend.
And, like all big-game specialists, To’o by no means peaks too early. In every of Penrith’s two grand last victories he is produced his highest run metre complete of the finals.
And final yr, when he scored two tries and churned out 299 yards on the bottom, solely a sterling show from fullback Dylan Edwards saved him from claiming man of the match honours.
It was the second yr in a row To’o might declare runner-up standing for the Clive Churchill Medal — he ran for a whopping 299 metres from 24 runs within the membership’s 14-12 win over South Sydney the yr earlier than, lacking out to halfback Nathan Cleary.
However the legend of Large Sport Bizza has saved rising on a regular basis, and he is already acquired a bit little bit of {hardware} to show it after To’o claimed the Brad Fittler Medal as New South Wales’ greatest participant on this yr’s Origin sequence.
To’o is humble to a fault and disregarded any speak he might make historical past on Sunday towards Brisbane.
In response to him, his power, sturdiness, and inhuman willingness to maintain taking up each opposition defender he can discover comes from his teammates.
“I get it from our middles, as a result of I do know they’re busting their arses,” To’o mentioned. “I get motivation from them. They do the arduous yards and so they’re extra busted than me.”
“I get again and do my job for them.
“My drive comes from not solely my household and my religion however from the boys now we have right here. Everybody is keen to return and put the arduous work in, and it is an infectious power.
“We have now that can to grind arduous for one another.”
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