'Green light': The bus ride that set Yeo on World Cup path
- Author
- Timestamp
Kangaroos captain Isaah Yeo has opened up on the conversation in the wake of Penrith's crushing preliminary final loss that paved the way for him to lead Australia at the IRL Rugby League World Cup.
Yeo played the last three games of the Panthers' NRL campaign with a ruptured pectoral and requires surgery as soon as his playing commitments for 2026 conclude.
Should all go to plan, the 31-year-old will go under the knife on Monday November 16, the day after the World Cup final.
Captain Yeo excited to start the World Cup against the Kiwis
By playing for the Kangaroos, the lock will likely miss the start of Penrith's 2027 season however coach Ivan Cleary didn't take much convincing to give Yeo the greenlight to feature at the World Cup.
"They knew I wanted to play," Yeo said. "Off the back of the prelim loss [to Newcastle] we were on the bus and it was a two-minute conversation with Ivan up the back seat.
"He goes 'is it sweet to play?'. I said yes and he said 'perfect'. That was the gist of it, he came up the back for two minutes on the way home from a prelim loss.
"They've been fine with it from the start. They trust me enough that I'll be fit enough when I come back. If [I miss] the first couple of weeks, I'd like to think I'll be able to make up for that."
Match: Australia v New Zealand
Round 1 -
home Team
Australia
away Team
New Zealand
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Sydney
The Kangaroos completed a second opposed session against France at Sydney Olympic Park on Monday morning as they ramp up their preparations for Thursday's World Cup opener against the Kiwis at Allianz Stadium.
France will launch their tournament against Samoa at CommBank Stadium on Friday night.
Reece Walsh has emerged as Australia's likely starting fullback, with Cam Munster and Mitchell Moses expected to link up in the halves.
October 15. It begins.
Yeo will start at lock in a forward pack set to feature Pat Carrigan and Tino Fa'asuamaleaui at prop. Liam Martin and debutant Jacob Preston look set to win the battle for the starting backrow roles.
There were plenty of familiar faces for Yeo on Monday, with Roosters coach Trent Robinson casting his eye over the French squad and former Panther Ben Garcia captaining the side.
While plenty more investment is required for France to develop into an international powerhouse, Yeo is confident they are moving in the right direction.
"They're going to bring an attacking flair [to the World Cup]," Yeo said. "They don't want to die wondering, they'll be underdogs in a few of their games but they've been really impressive.
"I had a pre-season with their captain Ben Garcia when he was at Penrith for a year, he's a cracking fella. Trent Robinson's in there as well so it's an exciting bunch.
"They play a different style of football to what we're used to so it's a good thing for us to see something a little bit different. It's been a good couple of days with them."
The French weren't the only interested party at the NSWRL Centre of Excellence on Monday morning, with the Wallabies completing a gym session as the Kangaroos trained on the field.
Former Sea Eagle, and current Wallabies fullback, Tom Wright exchanged jerseys with Yeo, while coach Les Kiss also had a chat to the Kangaroos skipper.
A former Queensland and Australian representative, Kiss played 100 games for the North Sydney Bears from 1986-1993.
Kevvie sure that Walsh is good to go
Kiss also played alongside Yeo's father Justin during his career and was quick to bring that up on Monday.
"I would have been barely one or two when they played," Yeo said. "For him to even remember that is a fair wrap on him. It was 30 years ago and I'm not sure dad was the most memorable player so he's done well."
Rugby League World Cup 2026 returns to Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea. Where nations clash, heroes rise, and legends are forged. 3 World Cups. 26 Teams. The World’s Best. Tickets are now on sale from $19. Don’t miss the pinnacle of global Rugby League.
