There is a famous photo on the wall inside the Panthers Academy that shows Isaah Yeo addressing the playing group at full-time after a loss to South Sydney in the 2021 qualifying final.
Souths had won 16-10, which meant the Panthers would have to reach the grand final the hard way – including a potential qualifying-final showdown against Melbourne.
Yeo knew what lay ahead, and delivered an inspirational speech before the coaching staff had made their way on to the ground.
“He told us how we had put ourselves into this position, how we needed to work hard to get there, but he had faith in all of us to do it,” Nathan Cleary said.
“‘Yeoy’ has never been one for grand speeches, but he’s always said the right thing in the right moment every time, including that night.”
NSW coach Laurie Daley appointed Yeo skipper of the Blues for the first time after Manly’s Jake Trbojevic was ruled out with concussion. Cleary and Stephen Crichton were other excellent options.
Isaah Yeo’s inspirational Penrith speech after the 2021 qualifying-final loss
Yeo let slip on stage at the True Blues Ball last week that Daley had told him he had the captaincy a few days before the teams were announced – certainly before Trbojevic was knocked out in Townsville.
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary, who works with Yeo every day, found it easy to detail five reasons NSW nailed it when it came to picking the man to lead them into action at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night.
1. He’s like a second coach
At half-time most weeks, Cleary makes a point of pulling Yeo to the side to get his thoughts on the game.
“And he’ll trot out exactly what’s going on,” Cleary says. “He’ll tell me what we’re doing well, the stuff we’re not doing well – he has a good feel for how the game is going.
Captain Blue: Isaah YeoCredit: Getty Images
“Heaps of guys who come off in his position, who are in the middle of that washing machine, they wouldn’t know what happened five minutes earlier. But Yeoy just knows. He has an incredible memory.”
2. He’s built for the big stage
Yeo has delivered time and again in the lock forward position for the Panthers, NSW and Australia, including during last year’s Pacific Championships when he was elevated to captain.
The standout Yeo performance still fresh in the mind of Cleary was a period in the second half of last year’s grand final triumph over Melbourne. Yeo told Cleary it remains the hardest game he has played.
Yeo and Nathan Cleary raise the premiership trophy last year.Credit: Getty Images
“It was end to end, the ball was in play so long and both teams were struggling [physically] in that second half,” Cleary said. “We had it, we’d kick, they had it, they’d kick. In those types of games, it’s bit like Origin, and if someone can make good run somewhere in that set, it can make such a difference.
“He did that three sets in a row, which doesn’t sound much, but he came up with a run that put us on the front foot, and gave us a few more metres with a quick play-the-ball. When the whole team is teetering, he came up with those plays … on the biggest day, when we were under the most pressure, Isaah always stands up.”
3. His preparation is flawless
Known as the “box-ticker” by his teammates, the 30-year-old has always been meticulous with his preparation, according to Cleary.
“He prepares like a champion, and he does everything he needs to give himself the best chance of playing well,” Cleary said.
“That sounds obvious, but a lot of players don’t do that. He never gives himself a chance to play poorly. In terms of the standards that are set, Yeoy is the standard.”
4. He is authentic
Cleary has a huge interest in leadership, even writing a book on the topic last year, the hugely successful Not Everything Counts But Everything Matters.
‘We love him’: Liam Martin was full of praise for his captain.Credit: Getty Images
It probably explains why he takes such a keen interest in the way Yeo goes about his business.
Cleary could easily have been speaking about himself when he said: “Everyone who is a leader at some stage will be insecure at times, and wonder if their style is good enough. But Isaah has always been authentic. He does things in his own way. And that comes out. If you try to be someone else, people see it a mile away.”
5. ‘All eyes on me’
The most capped Penrith player of all time rarely loses his cool, but he is not afraid to pull blokes into line.
Penrith and NSW teammate Liam Martin remembers trailing Souths 12-0 in the 2022 preliminary final at Accor Stadium, and Yeo giving the boys what was by his standards a rev-up.
“We were behind the tryline, everyone was watching the screen or off doing their own thing, but Yeo stepped up and said, ‘Give me your eyes’,” Martin said.
“We all gave him our attention. He’s the kind of guy that when he talks you listen.”
Cleary added: “He holds people accountable, which isn’t easy. When he does raise his voice, people listen because it doesn’t happen often. His messaging is always clear. He never talks shit. We love him.”
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