Lindsay Collins describes it as ‘the look’.
Everyone has experienced ‘the look’ at some point in their lives. It’s the one you get from your parents when you’ve done something wrong, letting them down in the process.
Only this time it’s coming from the Australian captain. Which is fitting, given the father of three has quickly become the father figure inside Kangaroos camp.
“You don’t want to let him down,” Collins told NRL.com. “You can see how much he cares and how much he puts in.
“He has a disappointing look he gives you when you’ve let him down. You don’t want to get that look.”
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Representing my culture and the country we all love
Yeo was forced to grow up quickly after moving from Dubbo to Sydney as a teenager to chase his rugby league dreams.
The son of former Balmain Tiger Justin Yeo, Isaah emerged as a key player in Penrith’s 2013 Holden Cup premiership. An NRL debut followed in 2014 and he developed into a leader at the Panthers at a young age.
Fast forward more than a decade and the lock now captains his club, state and country. He will lead the Kangaroos out for the fourth time in the opening game of the Ashes series at Wembley Stadium in the early hours of Sunday morning (AEDT).
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Great Britain v Kangaroos – First Test, 2003
His leadership, however, extends beyond the football field and he is widely viewed as the team dad.
“It’s probably got a bit to do with how I look,” Yeo jokes. “I look about 40.
“It’s probably because I’m pretty boring. I’m a pretty boring father so those two things put me into that category. It’s probably got to do with my maturity as well.”
Yeo has experienced stunning levels of success throughout his rugby league career.
A four-time premiership winner with the Panthers, he has also won a World Cup and multiple State of Origin series.
But there have also been plenty of setbacks along the way.
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Kangaroos v Kiwis – Pacific Cup final, 2023
Yeo was vice-captain as the Kangaroos suffered a shock 30-0 loss to New Zealand in the 2023 Pacific Championships final. Collins will never forget looking over as things started to go wrong and catching sight of Yeo’s face.
“There’s not too many times I’ve got ‘the look’ but the 30-nill shellacking we copped against New Zealand was one of them,” Collins said.
“We had a bit of complacency on that day but as the international game develops you can’t be complacent against any team. Every team’s got the talent to beat you.
“We know Isaah will always give his all, that’s a good quality to have in a captain because if he’s doing it, then you’ve got to give your all. He leads by example and it’s pretty easy to follow a guy who leads like that.”
Yeo stepped into the Australian captaincy role for last year’s campaign as the Kangaroos sought Pacific Championships redemption.
The lock didn’t miss a beat, leading the Kangaroos to Pacific Championships glory while becoming the first Australian since 2017 to win the Golden Boot.
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2024 Golden Boot Presentation: Isaah Yeo
Yeo’s teammates credit the skipper for setting the standard for his teams. It’s an act that both earns him the respect of his teammates and allows him to pull them into line if and when they start to drift off course.
“He’s a straight down the middle kind of guy,” Nathan Cleary said. “He’s always referred to as the dad of the group and that’s because he sets a great example. He’s very by the book so you don’t want to step out of line.”
Yeo acknowledges he has exceptionally high standards, however, he has a slightly different take on his leadership style.
Rather than simply setting the standard, the skipper views his job as creating an environment in which every individual player can flourish.
“I try and be myself,” Yeo said. “That’s all I’ve ever tried to be. I try and be myself and that helps me be comfortable and allows me to be the best version of myself.
“That’s what you want to be a part of, whether you’re the captain, in the leadership group or just someone in the squad. That’s the best way to get the best out of yourself, so that’s all I try to be. I don’t try be anyone else but me.”
While his focus is on getting the best out of his teammates, Yeo acknowledges he must make some tweaks depending on the playing group and the environment.
A month-long tour of England is a very different kettle of fish to a 27-round NRL season or an Origin series.
The current Australian squad is filled with a mix of wildly different personalities. From the brash exuberance of Reece Walsh to the more softly spoken Blayke Brailey, and everyone in between, it’s an eclectic collection of elite rugby league players.
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Kangaroos named for first Ashes Test
Yeo learnt plenty from last year’s Kangaroos campaign and is confident he’s got the balance right leading into this weekend’s Test match.
“It’s a different experience,” Yeo said. “In club land you’ve got your routines, you’re with each other all the time. With this tour you have a little bit more on your plate.
“It might be a bit more media so the other boys have to do a bit less and I have to talk a bit more at events but not too much changes.
“I’m doing something that I love. I love training, I love preparing, I love playing games so for me that side of things is no different.”
The Kangaroos have now had more than a week in London as they put the final touches on their preparations for Sunday’s clash.
Yeo has set the standard. Now, the challenge for the rest of the team is to ensure there are no looks of disappointment under the Wembley Stadium spotlight.