Penrith coach Ivan Cleary admits he’s not sure when Isaah Yeo will return for the Panthers as mystery surrounds the shoulder injury he suffered in last week’s golden point win over Gold Coast. The Panthers trainer controversy has dominated the headlines this week, but the injury to Penrith’s co-captain is also concerning for the club and their chances of securing a top-four finish.
Yeo was in obvious discomfort after landing awkwardly on his shoulder in the first half of the Titans game. While he was able to play on and featured for most of the second half, Yeo was unable to finish the game and is set to miss Friday night’s round 23 showdown at Newcastle, where the Panthers will be looking to extend their NRL winning streak to nine games.
Isaiah Papali’i has been named to wear the No.13 jersey in the absence of Yeo, who has been an almost ever-present for the four-time reigning premiers over the course of their NRL dynasty. Since the start of the club’s historic run in 2020, Yeo has only missed 16 games for the club and 14 of those have come around Origin time – whether playing for the Blues or being rested after games for his state.
The only other two games Yeo has missed for Penrith over that period were due to head knocks in 2020 and 2022. And it poses a major question around how the Panthers will handle the absence of their inspirational co-captain and what effect it could have on their run home, after Penrith’s coach admitted he’s not sure when Yeo will return.
Penrith unsure when injured skipper Isaah Yeo will return
“Clearly there’s been a little bit of a concern with his shoulder,” coach Cleary said. “We’ll just give him as much time as he needs, and we’re very confident he’ll be back.” The Penrith coach revealed this week that Yeo had not completely dislocated his right shoulder.
But he conceded the timeframe on his co-captain’s return remains a mystery and couldn’t say whether Yeo would have been fit enough to play this weekend, had it been a grand final. “We don’t know,” the Penrith coach responded to a question about Yeo’s likely return date.
“It was a sublux, so it didn’t come right out. They all vary. The fact that he can keep playing is a really good sign. Obviously he pulled up a little sore at halftime and then after the game. He won’t be playing this week, and we’ll just take it as it comes and see how he goes.”
Penrith have jumped up to fifth on the ladder – one point behind the Warriors – off the back of their eight-game winning streak. But they face a tricky run home after Friday night’s game against Newcastle, with clashes against top-three sides Melbourne, Canberra and the Bulldogs, followed by an away game against the Dragons to close out the season.
Yeo’s absence for any of those games will make Penrith’s quest for a top-four finish that much harder. And the fact that no team has won an NRL premiership finishing outside the four in the current finals format, highlights how important it will be for the Panthers to have Yeo back on the park.
“Yeoy he is a massive integral part of our side … To fill his shoes it is going to be a bit of a joint venture,” prop Lindsay Smith said about the skipper. “There are definitely a couple of us boys in the middle that need to take a step up.
“You can’t replicate Yeoy and you can’t replicate his leadership and calmness on the field. But everyone can chip in there in their own department to fill that void as a whole … When he’s been out, we’ve been able to do that in games.”
