“I’ll be a nobody after next Saturday night.”
So says Steve Carter, the Penrith legend whose long-standing club record of 243 games will finally fall to Isaah Yeo.
It helps that Yeo just happens to be Carter’s favourite player.
Carter will make the trek from Moonee Beach, just north of Coffs Harbour, to attend the preliminary final in Sydney and celebrate Yeo’s big moment.
“I couldn’t think of a better player or fella to break the record,” Carter says. “I’ve said it before, he’s my favourite player, and he still is my favourite. He certainly hasn’t gone backwards.
“My children and my six grandchildren will also be there on the night. It will be good for them to know Pop did all right back in the day.”
When Carter retired in 2001, another Panthers legend, Royce Simmons, spoke at his testimonial about how Carter, originally from Wyong, on the Central Coast, grew with the city.
Isaah Yeo will break the record for the most games played by a Panther in their preliminary final clash with Cronulla.Credit: Kate Geraghty
“I remember Royce using the analogy of how I was like Penrith, which was a bush town when I first arrived in the late 1980s, but a city by the time I retired,” Carter says.
“You could say the same thing about Isaah. He’s also come from the bush, but grown, matured and developed like Penrith itself.
“Once upon a time we were westies who were frowned upon by the people on Phillip St [the NSW Rugby League’s old headquarters].
“Now you can go anywhere in Australia, or even around the world, and chances are you will see a Penrith jersey.”
Yeo moves to the top of the Penrith pile, which includes 1991 premiership winner Carter, Craig Gower (238), Simmons (237), Greg Alexander (228), Luke Lewis (208), Brad Izzard (206), Ryan Girdler (204) and New Zealand Warriors-bound front-rower James Fisher-Harris (200).
Yeo received a text message from former Penrith supremo Phil Gould when he drew level with Carter last Friday night after the big qualifying-final win over the Sydney Roosters.
Yeo and the Panthers celebrate another try in their stunning first half against the Roosters.Credit: Getty
“‘Gus’ flicked me a message to say congratulations for tying with Steve, and told me how Steve and I were similar players,” Yeo says.
“I was only seven when Steve retired, but Gus described him as a wonderful player and ultra competitor. I’ve always heard about Steve being that ultra competitor, so any time you can be associated with someone like that at your club, it’s pretty special.”
When told about Carter’s claims he would become a forgotten man after Yeo set a new mark, the co-captain said: “I don’t know about that. And if that’s the case, I’ll be forgotten when Nathan Cleary eventually goes past me.”
The difference between Yeo’s good games and bad games is almost non-existent. His professionalism is reflected in his durability. While he has given his all in the middle for his club, state and country every year, he’s had an unbelievable run with injuries during the past four seasons.
Apart from his debut season in 2014, and 2019, Yeo has played a minimum 20 games each year. Being September regulars of late has helped accelerate his games tally.
Yeo will break Steve Carter’s games record for Penrith.Credit: ALLSPORT AUSTRALI
Yeo often doubles as the extra playmaker at Penrith, especially when Cleary is injured, or what coach and father Ivan Cleary prefers to describe as his son’s “annual sabbaticals”.
“I’ve heard a few times I’ve been running the ball more this year, but I only play what’s in front of me,” Yeo says.
“Often you’ll get teams spreading their shape a bit, whether they’re putting more men on Nathan if he is on one side, or out the back of something, so that means teams get a bit wider through the middle.
“I’ve played a lot of games now where I know to pick my moments.
“I try to help ‘Romy’ [Luai] when I can when Nath is out. But he’s [Luai] been great this year. He’s become more of that traditional No.7, which is why the Wests Tigers signed him and saw that in him last year.”
Yeo, 29, is grateful to have been a one-club player. South Sydney showed brief interest around the time he was struggling with a shoulder injury in 2019, but only viewed him as a back-rower, not a middle forward.
“I’m a country fella [from Dubbo], I’m introverted, so Penrith suits me to the ground,” Yeo says. “I would have struggled playing for any other Sydney club. Penrith is also as close to home as I can get.
“Sometimes things just fall into place. Penrith has been that for me.
“My next contract is up in 2027. I’ll be 32 then. I wouldn’t close any door, but I do love Penrith, and I’d like to work here once footy is done. It would have to be something to do with footy because I don’t have much interest in anything else.
Isaah Yeo and the Panthers have won three straight NRL titles.Credit: Getty
“I’ve got three young kids now, my fiancee [Ashleigh] is from Penrith, so this is home. But I have plenty of time to worry about that. I’m only focused on the next coupler of weeks.”
The Panthers enjoyed the weekend off and return knowing they are two games away from a fourth straight title.
The thought of climbing rugby league’s Everest a fourth time is suddenly nowhere near as daunting as it must have been on day one of pre-season training.
Cleary has had more time to get his shoulder right, and Dylan Edwards is about to notch 150 NRL games. Their first half against the Roosters was on par with NSW’s first-half effort in Origin II at the MCG this year.
The chance for the players to send Luai and Fisher-Harris out in style has become a well-discussed theme – but we have probably all underestimated how much it is driving the Panthers internally.
“The motivation to play for the boys leaving, and the motivation to try and be the best version of yourself, they are things we’ve done well the past few years,” Yeo says.
“Even if you have to climb Everest again, we know how to hold each other accountable.
“We’ve got four or five guys leaving, but the architects of our culture, Romy and Fish, they’ve been here since this all started.
“In 2019, Fish was our best player by a mile. And we’ve had success since Romy came into first grade. We want to send them out on a high note – they deserve it, and they’ve earned it.”
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The running joke when it comes to Yeo and his family is how his father Justin looks younger than his son. Justin was only 18 when Isaah born. Yeo, who proved he was such an old soul by requesting Cat Stevens’ Peace Train be played inside BlueBet Stadium if he ever scored, said the game hadn’t helped him retain any of his youthful looks.
“I haven’t aged well – my nose gets more crooked each year, and the hairline continues to recede,” he says with a laugh.
But what a sight he will be when shaking hands with Carter next week, then running out and trying to add another cool couple of chapters to his career. And Penrith’s.
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