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For weeks, Panthers winger Brian To’o has worn headgear at the start of games but often returns for the second half without it.
In last week’s preliminary final against Melbourne, he didn’t even make it to half-time before ripping it off and throwing it to a trainer.
Stephen Crichton and Brian To’o celebrate a try against Manly. It was the first time To’o had worn headgear during an NRL game.Credit: NRL Photos
Among the questions To’o has had to answer during grand final week, the greatest intrigue was about his headgear.
To’o had played his whole career without it but then, against Manly in round six this year, he ran onto the field sporting Madison headgear.
Why did he start wearing it? And why, if the headgear was so important, was he unable to finish a game with it still on?
The winger facetiously raises the safety benefits, but there is more to it than that.
Brian To’o has made a habit of starting games wearing a headgear, before taking it off.Credit: NRL Photos
“It was to piss off ‘Critta’,” he says, referring to close friend Stephen Crichton, who started wearing headgear last year because of a gash on his ear.
“That’s why I wear it all the time. The more it kept annoying him, the more I kept putting it on. He always tells me, ‘Stop copying me’. I wanted to wear it even more because he hated it. If he’s not happy with it, I’ll wear it. He just hates it.
“He said, ‘You won’t wear it for the game’. That made me want to wear it every game.”
Further investigation, by questioning Crichton, leads to more detail about Too’s motivations.
To’o and Crichton wearing headgear during State of Origin this year.Credit: NRL Photos
“He said to me, ‘You look like an idiot, why would you do that?’, then the next training session he ran out with headgear on,” Crichton said.
“He did it once at training and he made a line break against our NSW Cup side, so he said he would try it on the weekend. Then he scored a double first time wearing it in a game so [it was], ‘I want to copy Critta and wear the headgear’. Anyone who asks him though, he’ll tell them it’s for safety.”
Recently, viewers have noticed the headgear doesn’t last until the end of the game.
In most instances, To’o takes it off at half-time, but against the Storm last Friday, it was gone midway through the first half.
To’o’s desire to make fun of Crichton is stronger than the discomfort, but frustration with opposition players tugging at the headgear takes its toll.
“The velcro keeps coming off,” he said. “It annoys me a bit, so it comes off when I start fiddling around with it. By that stage, I’ve done my job. I’ve annoyed Critta, so it can come off.”
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