By Joel Gould / AAP
Queensland centre Robert Toia will play his fifth consecutive Origin match for Queensland at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) on Wednesday night but he credits where he is today for being one of 10 children. He is a rock-solid physical specimen … thanks to his mother Fanga's famous porridge that he would scoff down at their family home in Brisbane.
"It was the best," Toia said of his upbringing in a Tongan family.
"We had to share a lot of things. We were all so close in age so there was fighting and competing against each other but looking back it was the best thing that could have happened to me."
The 21-year-old Sydney Roosters star had to fight and compete for everything after back-to-back ACL ruptures and a broken jaw cruelled his 2022-2024 seasons.
When he made his 2025 NRL debut it was a triumph of his mental strength and collective support.
"With my injury toll, the mental load I gained from rehabbing both knees was the key. I owe a lot to the Roosters and my family," he said. "The support they showed was massive and let me know I could still do it and that I have still got it."
Now living in Sydney, the Tonga international wishes he was still eating it for breakfast.
"I miss it all the time. She claims it was the secret recipe to my muscles growing up," Toia grinned.
"It was the foundation. I was a bit skinny growing up and then I started building the muscles."
So what is so special about this porridge?
"She makes it filled with love. Her porridge is famous in our family," Toia said.
"I have six brothers and three sisters so there would be 12 of us and other family members who would come over to have the porridge in the mornings. So the house was full of porridge eaters. She would make a big pot as well."
The third-eldest in the family, Toia said he became the "calmest and most sensible" family member once he matured.
That maturity shines through when he talks about the impact he is having as a Maroons player.
In the build-up to last year's Pacific Championships with Tonga his extended family support was immense. Flags with "Robert Toia" and a large cheer squad followed him everywhere. Back in Tonga, any Origin match is a must-watch.
"I have had family members from Australia go over to Tonga and they all have it on TV and gather around," he said.
"I didn't realise how massive it is and how much they supported me. It is such a humbling thing and so emotional, just how much the village all gets around it."
It is one reason why showcasing the Toia name on the back of his Maroons jersey "means the world" to him.
"To be able to showcase my last name on this stage means everything. because everyone knows Origin is the pinnacle of rugby league," Toia said.
"My family members here and in Tonga all love it. It's the best."
