Isaah Yeo is reportedly ready to speak to the Penrith Panthers about a new contract beyond 2027, declaring his “perfect world would be staying at Penrith.”
While nothing formal will actually start until the November 1 deadline, according to the man himself, The Sporting Base understands Yeo’s management have been speaking to the Panthers about a final deal that would see the club captain past 300 games and into retirement.
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NRL insider The Mole has even suggested Yeo’s next deal could be a “life contract” which sounds like it would stretch beyond his playing career.
While the Base has yet to hear length, there’s things happening behind the scenes.
What they are has yet to take shape, though the Panthers are understandably eager to keep the State of Origin and Kangaroos representative for as long as he wants to play at the club. The desire to keep the Dubbo product a one-club man is the main thing at the foot of the mountains.
Yeo, who has captained the team since 2021 and been a commanding voice in the engine room through four premierships, is in a similar boat.
“I touched on it at the start of the year… I assumed everybody would go to November 1. My perfect world would be staying at Penrith,” Yeo said.
The Origin lock added he wasn’t involved in any of the preliminary chats just yet. “I’d love conversations to maybe start now, but that is news to me,” he said, when asked about thrashing out deal details.
“There might be things happening behind the scenes that I’m not aware of.”
The only thing that may throw a spanner in the works is the fact that the Panthers have so many championship players coming off contract at the same time. Nathan Cleary and Brian To’o have yet to decide their futures, while it sounds like Liam Martin will be re-signing.
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Penrith is also resigned to losing Moses Leota, with the Raiders, Titans, Eels, and Roosters all leading the chase for his signature.
Liam Henry and Scott Sorensen are also leaving, to join Perth in 2027.
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