The proud Samoan international will reunite with former Panthers teammate and close friend Jarome Luai as the PNG Chiefs continue building their inaugural squad.

The PNG Chiefs have added another major Pacific name to their historic inaugural NRL squad, with proud Samoan international Brian To’o joining the club as Chiefs Player No. 006 ahead of its entry into the Telstra Premiership in 2028. To’o’s signing is another major statement from the expansion club as it continues assembling a squad capable of making an immediate impact when the PNG Chiefs take the field for the first time. The accomplished winger will join the Chiefs at the conclusion of his current contract with the Penrith Panthers, signing a three-year deal that will take him into the club’s inaugural NRL campaign.

A proud Samoan, To’o has represented Samoa on the international stage and has consistently embraced his Pacific heritage throughout his career. His arrival gives the PNG Chiefs another player whose identity and connection to the region extend beyond rugby league. For the Chiefs, that matters. The club is being built around more than simply creating a competitive NRL team. Its inaugural squad is expected to represent Papua New Guinea and the wider Pacific on one of rugby league’s biggest stages, making players with strong cultural ties especially important to the foundation of the club.

Brian To’o Joins PNG Chiefs as Player No. 006 Ahead of Historic 2028 NRL Debut

The proud Samoan international will reunite with former Panthers teammate and close friend Jarome Luai as the PNG Chiefs continue building their inaugural squad.

The PNG Chiefs have added another major Pacific name to their historic inaugural NRL squad, with proud Samoan international Brian To’o joining the club as Chiefs Player No. 006 ahead of its entry into the Telstra Premiership in 2028. To’o will join the Chiefs at the conclusion of his current contract with the Penrith Panthers, signing a three-year deal that will see him become part of the club’s inaugural NRL campaign.

The signing represents another significant move for the expansion club as it continues assembling a squad built around experience, winning pedigree and strong connections to the Pacific. For To’o, the move marks the beginning of a new chapter in a career that has already seen considerable success. The 27-year-old has established himself as one of the NRL’s premier wingers, winning four premierships with Penrith while also representing New South Wales and Samoa at the highest level. A proud Samoan, To’o has remained closely connected to his heritage throughout his career. That cultural connection is also a major part of why his signing carries significance for the Chiefs, who are building a club designed to represent Papua New Guinea and the wider Pacific.

PNG Chiefs CEO Lorna McPherson said To’o embodies the values the club wants its inaugural players to represent, particularly his connection to family, culture and community.

“Brian is fiercely proud of his Samoan heritage, incredibly close to his family and understands what it means to represent something bigger than yourself,” McPherson said.

“That is exactly the kind of person we want wearing the Chiefs jersey.”

McPherson said To’o’s decision to join the club also sends a broader message to young people across Papua New Guinea and the Pacific about what the new franchise can represent.

“We want young people across Papua New Guinea and the Pacific to look at this team and see themselves in it,” she said. “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.”

A proven winner for a historic club

Beyond his cultural connection, To’o arrives with a wealth of experience from one of the NRL’s most successful teams of the modern era.

He has been an important part of Penrith’s premiership-winning dynasty and understands what it takes to build and maintain a winning culture, something the Chiefs believe will be crucial as they prepare to enter the competition for the first time.

PNG Chiefs General Manager of Football Michael Chammas said securing a player of To’o’s calibre was another important step in establishing the club’s inaugural squad.

“Brian has performed at the highest level of rugby league for many years and knows exactly what is required to create and sustain a winning environment,” Chammas said.

His value to the Chiefs, however, goes beyond what he can produce on the field.

“He brings competitiveness, consistency, and an enormous work ethic, but equally important for us is what he brings culturally,” Chammas said.

The Chiefs are attempting to establish a culture from the ground up, with the club’s first group of players expected to set standards that will influence the franchise well beyond its inaugural season.

“Brian understands family, sacrifice, humility, and togetherness. Those are values shared across Papua New Guinea and the Pacific,” Chammas said.

“To secure a player of Brian’s quality, character and cultural strength is a huge moment for the Chiefs.”

Reuniting with Jarome Luai

To’o’s arrival also creates one of the most exciting storylines within the Chiefs’ inaugural squad. The proud Samoan international will reunite with former Panthers teammate and close friend Jarome Luai, who became the club’s inaugural signing, Player No. 001. The two were part of Penrith’s dominant era and shared multiple premiership campaigns, creating a familiarity that will now follow them to Papua New Guinea. Both players have also represented Samoa, making their reunion in the Pacific particularly fitting as the Chiefs prepare to establish themselves as the NRL’s first Papua New Guinean club. For To’o, joining Luai again provides a familiar connection as he takes on an entirely new challenge. For the Chiefs, it means having two experienced winners with an established relationship helping lay the foundation for a club that has yet to play its first NRL match.

Building the Chiefs’ identity

To’o is the latest significant piece in what is quickly becoming a highly anticipated inaugural squad. The Chiefs’ arrival in the NRL will represent a historic moment for Papua New Guinea and Pacific rugby league, and the club has made it clear that its identity will extend beyond what happens on the field. To’o’s signing fits directly into that vision. A four-time premiership winner, Samoan international and proud Pacific player, he brings elite-level experience while also representing the cultural values the Chiefs want at the heart of their organization.

As McPherson put it, “Community, and rugby league are deeply connected, and Brian represents those values every time he takes the field.”

To’o will join the PNG Chiefs ahead of their inaugural 2028 NRL season on a three-year deal following the conclusion of his contract with the Panthers. The Chiefs’ historic debut is still on the horizon, but with To’o now joining Luai and the rest of the club’s growing roster, anticipation around Papua New Guinea’s entry into the NRL is only getting bigger. The Chiefs are building something historic, and Brian To’o will be right in the middle of it.