Latest news with #IsaahYeo
News.com.au
4 hours ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘Line in the sand': Panthers were last on the ladder two months ago, but an ugly night in Bathurst has them on track for a fifth title
Competitions aren't generally won or lost on cold May nights in Bathurst, but it could be a different story for the Panthers who have used their round 12 loss to Newcastle as the line-in- the-sand moment that has turned their season around. Penrith's four premierships have all been built on their defence, with Ivan Cleary's side conceding the fewest points every season from 2020-2024. But that defensive dominance was nowhere to be seen at the start of the season, with the champions coughing up at least 20 points in nine of their opening 11 matches to find themselves at the bottom of the table after 12 rounds. It was an unthinkable place for them to be in and was capped off by a first-half horror show in Bathurst where they struggled without their Origin stars to be down 24-0 at the break. For the first time, people were willing to write that the dynasty was over. But you can never count out a champion, with that night sparking a wild turnaround that has put the rest of the competition on notice. The Panthers have won six on the trot, haven't allowed 20 points in any of those games and have conceded just 68 points – the fewest by any team in that period. 'You can just feel like we're more resilient, we're stopping tries, we're making it hard for the opposition, whereas that wasn't really the case for the first half of the season,' co-captain Isaah Yeo said. 'I feel like they'd go down on our end in the first set, they'd put on a play, and it wasn't under pressure, and all of a sudden they're scoring, and you're probably sort of kicking yourself going, what's just happened to everything we spoke about? 'But I feel like we're trusting the system a bit more, we're being a bit more proactive, particularly at the start of the games, and when you're holding your line and being resilient, that affects the other team's confidence. 'We've relied on that for such a long period of time now, and we didn't have that for the first half of the season. It's not something you can ever take for granted. 'It happens at training, it happens in your reps, making sure the intensity's up, so there's been a real shift in that regard ever since the line-in-the-sand moment being the Bathurst game.' Edge forward Scott Sorensen missed that game in Bathurst but led from the front with a double a few weeks later when the Panthers went to Auckland without their Origin stars and upset the Warriors. 'I think we have shared and spoken about the line-in-the-sand moment. And that's exactly what it was. It was just like, we have standards here,' he replied when asked about the Knights loss. 'We have a level that we want to play at. We have a level that we want to train at. And we're not doing it at the moment. Let's fix it. And let's do it. 'We've spoken previously in the last few weeks about keeping each other accountable and wanting to play our best footy defensively and obviously offensively as well. 'It's nice to hear that outside people are recognising that. It's just keeping each other accountable and doing our job.' As poorly as Penrith started the season, only three teams have conceded fewer points than the Panthers who suddenly look exactly like the side that has dominated the NRL for years. 'We've definitely noticed that particularly other years when we are on top, we look at it a little bit more. This year maybe not as much because we haven't been up the top there,' Yeo said. 'We understand that if you can put pressure on the team because you're making them have to change because you are defending so well, that's a good thing. 'The first half of the season we weren't doing that. Teams were sort of doing what they wanted and good things were coming off the back of it. 'Whereas at the moment we're holding our line, and that's probably making teams have to change on the run. Any time you do that, it gives you confidence. 'And off the back of that, you get in the game style you want. You get more ball in play. It all flows so much into each other. 'We certainly understand that when we're defending well, it keeps the ball in play more. And flip side of that, when you're having to score points and get frantic, that doesn't suit most teams. 'But it probably doesn't suit the way we've played over the last five or six years. We're just having to do too much work, particularly in first halves, I feel like. 'We were having to tackle way too much just because of the pressure we were putting on ourselves. Or at the moment, at least it's happening to both sides. There's actual fatigue for both sides. It's a hard style to play, but it suits us.' It's scary for the rest of the league to see them playing this well, especially when they still feel like they can improve. 'I don't really care about the rest of the competition, to be honest,' Sorensen said. 'It's about us and what we're doing.'
ABC News
7 hours ago
- Sport
- ABC News
Kevin Walters backed as Kangaroos rugby league coach by captain Isaah Yeo
Isaah Yeo has endorsed Kevin Walters as Australia's next coach, with the Kangaroos captain labelling the Brisbane legend a man people want to play for. Walters is expected to be announced as Mal Meninga's successor this week, with the ARL Commission (ARLC) finalising plans to unveil him ahead of this year's Ashes. It comes after Meninga was forced to step down upon taking on the Perth Bears job last month and the ARLC ruled out having a club coach in charge. Walters's appointment will mark his return to coaching after being axed by Brisbane at the end of 2024. He previously led Queensland in four State of Origin series from 2016 to 2019, winning two. Yeo has never previously worked with Walters, with his only dealings being in post-match interviews or playing against him while in charge of the Broncos, when Yeo's Panthers broke Brisbane hearts in the 2023 grand final. ABC Sport is live blogging every round of the AFL and NRL seasons in 2025. But he has spoken to a number of players about the 57-year-old, and was happy to have him take over the Kangaroos ahead of the Ashes. "You can see how much he meant to the players by talking to the Broncos' boys," Yeo said. "If it wasn't for Nathan Cleary killing it for 16 or 17 minutes, then he'd be a premiership-winning coach. Everyone I've spoken to has massive raps on him. "He's come out and said how much of an honour it'll be to be able to coach Brisbane, Queensland and his last one was going to be Australia. "I'm super excited for him. You can see how much it means to him already, and I'd love to be a part of it with him." Walters's appointment will give him just three months to prepare for the Ashes, with the first Test against England at Wembley Stadium on October 25. That short lead-in was part of former NSW coach Brad Fittler's reasoning to withdraw from the race, while also concerned about juggling media commitments. Yeo is happy the coaching questions will soon be answered, with Walters able to fully focus on the tour without worrying about a club side. "That's probably where it's gotten a little bit hard for whoever was going to come in because it's going to be rushed for them," Yeo said. "It'd be hard being an NRL coach and having to worry about a push to the finals, and then you're trying to do this stuff on top of it. "It's nice that it's all done and sealed, and we can now get to planning what will hopefully be a successful series over there. "He's been pretty busy, Kev, doing a lot with Fox [Sports] at the moment. But it certainly helps because he's now got three months to try to figure it out." Walters's appointment comes after Cameron Smith also put his hand up for the job, while the ARLC's no-club-job approach ruled out Wayne Bennett. AAP
News.com.au
a day ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘You can see how much it means to him': Kangaroos skipper endorses Kevin Walters to take over as the next coach of the national side
Kangaroos skipper Isaah Yeo is too young to remember much about Kevin Walters as a player, but he can't wait to be coached by the Broncos legend, who is expected to be announced as the Australian coach for this year's Ashes series. Walters will replace Mal Meninga, who stepped down to focus on his new role as inaugural coach of the Perth Bears, with Yeo relieved they've settled on someone who can now start planning for the Ashes tour that begins in October. Yeo found out through the media that Walters would be taking over and has endorsed the former Broncos and Maroons coach to lead the national side even though it hasn't been formally announced. 'He's come out and said how much of an honour it'll be to be able to coach Brisbane, Queensland and his last one was going to be Australia,' the Golden Boot winner said. 'I'm super excited for him. You can see how much it means to him already and I'd love to be a part of it with him. 'That was a bit before my time (watching him play), but you hear stories about how good he was. 'You can see how much he meant to the players by talking to the Broncos boys. If it wasn't for Nathan Cleary (killing it) for 16 or 17 minutes, then he'd be a premiership-winning coach. 'Everyone I've spoken to has massive raps on him.' Wayne Bennett had been in the mix to take over but was eventually ruled out given he coaches an NRL side, while Immortal-in-waiting Cameron Smith was also in contention after Brad Fittler pulled out of the race. One of the reasons Fittler didn't take the job was because there were only a few months to go until the Tests started and there was still so much planning to do for matches overseas. It's why Yeo is happy that they've gone with someone who has no links to club land, with Walters keeping himself busy with his media work with Fox Sports. 'It helps now with how late it's been because it'd be hard being an NRL coach and having to worry about a push to the finals and then you're trying to do this stuff on top of it,' Yeo said. 'He's been pretty busy, Kev, doing a lot with Fox at the moment, but it certainly helps because he's now got three months to try to figure it out. 'That's probably where it's gotten a little bit hard for whoever was going to come in because it's going to be rushed for them. It's nice that it's all done and sealed and we can now get to planning what will hopefully be a successful series over there. 'You'd love to be a part of it because of the history behind it and what it means to the English – not just the players – but the fans over there and how passionate they are. I like anything to do with history, so it'd be really cool to be a part of.' Walters played in the 1992 Ashes series and will bring plenty of passion when the rivalry returns after a 22-year hiatus. Yeo doesn't remember much from the 2003 series but is expecting a tight contest just 12 months out from the next World Cup. 'I would have been too young. I do remember getting up and watching England games, but that was really rare and those were really early memories,' he said. 'You hear about the tours and how outstanding they were. We were lucky enough to play a World Cup over there. 'You can feel that England have been building towards this. They had the disappointment of the World Cup, but then they had the Tonga and the Samoa series and they've been building towards something with this group under Shaun Wane. 'You can tell it's going to be a cracking series, and those are the ones you want to be in. Any time you pull on the Australian jersey is the pinnacle of the sport, but to be able to do that in a series like that is awesome.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kangaroos captain endorses next green and gold coach
Isaah Yeo has endorsed Kevin Walters as Australia's next coach, with the Kangaroos captain labelling the Brisbane legend a man people want to play for. Walters is expected to be announced as Mal Meninga's successor this week, with the ARL Commission (ARLC) finalising plans to unveil him ahead of this year's Ashes. It comes after Meninga was forced to step down upon taking on the Perth Bears job last month, while the ARLC has ruled out having a club coach in charge. Walters' appointment will mark his return to coaching, after being axed by Brisbane at the end of 2024. He previously led Queensland in State of Origin from 2016 to 2019. Yeo has never previously worked with Walters, with his only dealings being in post-match interviews or playing against him while in charge of the Broncos. But he has spoken to a number of players about the 57-year-old, and was happy to have him take over the Kangaroos ahead of the Ashes and 2026 World Cup. "You can see how much he meant to the players by talking to the Broncos boys," Yeo said. "If it wasn't for Nathan Cleary killing it for 16 or 17 minutes then he'd be a premiership-winning coach. Everyone I've spoken to has massive raps on him. "He's come out and said how much of an honour it'll be to be able to coach Brisbane, Queensland and his last one was going to be Australia. "I'm super excited for him. You can see how much it means to him already and I'd love to be a part of it with him." Walters' appointment will give him three months to prepare for the Ashes, with the first Test against England at Wembley Stadium on October 25. That short lead-in had been part of Brad Fittler's reasoning to withdraw from the race, while also concerned about juggling media commitments. It is for that reason Yeo is happy a coach has finally been appointed, and that Walters is able to fully focus on the tour without worrying about a club side. "That's probably where it's gotten a little bit hard for whoever was going to come in because it's going to be rushed for them," Yeo said. "It'd be hard being an NRL coach and having to worry about a push to the finals and then you're trying to do this stuff on top of it. "It's nice that it's all done and sealed and we can now get to planning what will hopefully be a successful series over there. "He's been pretty busy, Kev, doing a lot with Fox (Sports) at the moment. But it certainly helps because he's now got three months to try to figure it out." Walters' appointment comes after Cameron Smith also put his hand up for the job, while the ARLC's no-club-job approach ruled out Wayne Bennett.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NSW fans captured in shameless mid-match as Isaah Yeo moment says it all after Origin loss
If one thing summed up the woeful performance of NSW in State of Origin 3, it was the sight of Blues fans streaming out of Accor Stadium with 20 minutes left in the game. Queensland pulled the Blues' pants down in the series decider, winning 24-12 in Sydney for a historic triumph. It marks the first time in State of Origin history that a Maroons side has lost the first game at home before winning the second and third on the road. The NSW crowd was left shell-shocked on Wednesday night as Queensland raced out to a 20-0 half-time lead. It created a hush around Accor Stadium that was more akin to a funeral than a State of Origin game, and it wasn't long before NSW fans had seen enough. Some were so fed-up that they left with a whopping 20 minutes left in the game, despite the Blues reducing the margin to 20-6. By the time Isaah Yeo delivered his runner-up speech, there were more Queensland fans in the stadium and the NSW captain was booed on his home turf. Even the famous 'Blatchys Blues' section of the crowd was half-empty when the game hadn't yet finished, with just as many empty seats to be seen as blue wigs. RELATED: Cameron Munster stuns with gesture for teammate on Origin stage Cooper Cronk's genius laid bare after call about Latrell Mitchell One person watching the game at their home at Olympic Park filmed hundreds of supporters streaming out of Accor and down the spiral ramp on the outside of the stadium. At that point there was only three minutes remaining, but it showed the level of disgust at the Blues' performance. "Sitting at home as a non-NRL person and saw the crowd leaving the stadium thinking the game was over" they wrote. "Turned on the TV to see there's still minutes on the clock. Mustn't be the result those there wanted." I sorry but even if the game does not go the way you would like why would you leave its SOO — bindrinkin_00 (@bindrinkin_00) July 9, 2025 They just don't get origin dave — JOSH BIRD (@palejawsh) July 9, 2025 Think there were just Queenslanders left in the stands — mary-ellen (@maryell86836040) July 9, 2025 One person disgraced themselves when they threw a beer can towards NSW utility Connor Watson. The Blues player was making his way to see family and friends in the stands when the projectile narrowly missed him and struck a bystander in the shoulder. WATCH BELOWA NSW fan has take his anger too far in the aftermath of the Origin decider after chucking a beer can in the direction of Roosters utility Connor Watson.🎥 @telegraph_sport — The League Scene (@LeagueScenePod) July 9, 2025 'I've had to go up there, my family and friends were up there,' Watson told . 'One of my mates is in a wheelchair, and he can't come down the stairs, so I have walked up there to go see him. 'As I'm walking, a can of Canadian Club lands right next to me and it's like someone had thrown it at me. If they did throw it... the words I want to use for it... I can't say right now. 'It's disappointing to be honest. I'm just going up to visit my family and friends, I shouldn't have to worry about someone throwing a can at me. If someone has done it, they should do something about it.'
