Brian To’o scored what will go down as one of the tries of the NRL season on Friday night as the Panthers thrashed the Roosters. And speaking in a post-game interview, the Panthers winger said he has Mary Fowler to thank.
To’o scored a stunning solo try featuring two separate kicks. The first kick put him in behind the defensive line, before he produced another kick to take him around fullback James Tedesco.
Brian To’o reckons Mary Fowler has been teaching him some tricks. Image: Fox/Mary Fowler
To’o then regathered for a second time to plant the ball down and stun the NRL world. When asked post-match about the try, he claimed Nathan Cleary’s girlfriend Fowler (a Matildas superstar) had been giving him some tips for kicking.
“You wouldn’t believe it,” he said. “Mary Fowler, my sister, taught me a few tricks, and then passed it from Clez (Cleary) down to me. They gave me the tools and techniques to do that. That was a one-off, it’ll never happen again.”
Fowler is in action for the Matildas in the Asian Cup final against Japan on Saturday night. “All the best sister,” To’o said. “God bless.”
Axed players cop new blow after Panthers and Broncos win
To’o’s try was one of seven the Panthers scored in an absolute demolition of the Roosters. Winger Thomas Jenkins scored four for himself, making it increasingly unlikely that Izack Tago will be able to force his way back into the starting side anytime soon.
Jenkins was left out during the Panthers’ finals run last year, but was picked ahead of Tago to start 2026. The recalled winger has a staggering eight tries in just three games so far.
The Tago situation is similar to that of Gehamat Shibasaki at the Broncos. Shibasaki became a State of Origin and Test player in 2025, but his poor form to start this season saw him dropped to the bench for Friday night’s game against the Melbourne Storm.
Gehamat Shibasaki and Izack Tago are facing an uphill battle to win their spots back. Image: Getty
Grant Anderson was solid on the wing after being handed his Broncos debut, running for 163 metres from 19 carries. But more importantly, Deine Mariner looked way more threatening after shifting from the wing to take Shibasaki’s spot at left centre.
Mariner had five tackle-breaks and ran for 151 metres from 15 carries. The switch shored up the Broncos’ leaky left-edge defence, with Mariner making 17 tackles on Friday night and only missing one. Brisbane only conceded two tries to beat a Storm outfit that had scored 98 points in its first two games.
Shibasaki was one of four players that didn’t get any game-time on Friday night, with Michael Maguire only opting to use two of his interchange options. “Because of the players I have and the experience some of the players have had, I just felt that it was the right thing for us to do,” Maguire said about only using 15 players in total.