Cleary praises Yeo ahead of milestone match
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary has discussed the importance of Isaah Yeo ahead of the co-captain’s 200th NRL match on Friday night.
As well as recording a milestone against the Raiders, Yeo has re-signed with the club until the end of the 2027 season.
“It’s really important, a very popular re-signing,” Cleary.
“He doesn't just set the standard but he is the standard. He’s fit, he’s organised, he’s very reliable. He’s a winner, he competes hard and he is super consistent. We are happy to have him and think his best footy is still definitely ahead of him”
When asked what he believes could be in store for Yeo, Cleary explained the future looks bright for his co-captain despite all the achievements he has achieved in the game.
“He keeps looking for more and keeps trying to improve, I think that’s the secret,” Cleary said.
Final Word: Round 5
“He likes winning, he likes competing and getting the best out of himself every single day. That’s what he’s done since he’s first come in and that’s what he will keep on doing. I think that’s the secret to Yeo. We are certainly happy to have him here”
Cleary also discussed where he believes his team is at after the opening four rounds of the 2023 season before heading into Friday night’s game against the Raiders.
Experiencing a slight difference to the start of the season having only won one game in the opening four rounds in comparison to the last two years where the team were undefeated, Cleary reflected on where he believes the team is at.
I want to be a one-club player: Yeo
“It is unrealistic to look back on the last year and year before, we aren’t living in the past we are just worrying about now,” he said.
“It’s a little hard on the number of games we’ve played but there’s a little bit of a pattern there of we’ve put in a level of performance that at the end of the day isn’t good enough to win all the games.
“Relativity we’re a little disappointed with where we’re at but confident that we can continue to evolve and certainly I see a lot of improvement in us”
“We are totally ready to take the season on, but we won’t be the finished product for a while I don’t think but we can certainly play a little bit better than we have.”
