Dubbo junior Isaah Yeo to make 200th appearance for Penrith Panthers

On Friday night the St John's junior will become just the ninth player to reach 200 appearances for the Penrith Panthers.

With two NRL premierships, State of Origin appearances, Australian selection and a World Cup win already under his belt, Yeo has certainly come a long way from the lanky teenager who made the move from Dubbo to the foot of the mountains after he finished school.

"It's not something you expect to happen when you first debut but I'm super excited about it and understand how proud it makes my family," Yeo said this week of the 200 mark.

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This week is another to remember for Yeo as he'll play his milestone match just days after signing a new contract with Penrith through to the end of the 2027 season.

The new contract will take the two-time Dally M Lock of the Year through to the age of 33 and he said the chance to become a one-club player - something rarely seen in the game these days - was a motivating factor.

The Panthers co-captain added it was a "no-brainer" when it came to signing the new deal given the success he's had and the impact Penrith as a club and region has had on him.

"It means a lot. Obviously I moved down here when I'd just finished year 12 so I was 17 and it's all I've known ever since," he said.

"I've been lucky enough, all I've wanted to do is play football and to do it here, the closest to Dubbo, which was nice, and Mudgee now too, where my parents are.

"Obviously my fiance is from Penrith and we're growing a little family at the moment so it's everything I want it to be."

While he was always a player of promise during his days at Dubbo, Yeo was never a headline-grabber and that continued to be the case when he made the move to Penrith.

He came off the bench for the Panthers during their 2013 under 20s grand final win before making his NRL debut in round one of the next season.

"The club have helped me evolve as a player," Yeo said, almost a decade later.

"I certainly wasn't getting accolades or playing in rep games at the start of my career.

"I had to work really hard to get where I am at the moment and transitioned through a lot of positions."

Having started as a centre, Yeo moved into an edge-back row position before eventually finding himself at lock, where his role as an extra ball player and someone who has a huge say in the Panthers' attacking sets has become more refined in recent years.

His performances have played a huge role in the club's recent success and he's now the latest player to commit his future to the club.

While other players like fellow Dubbo junior Matt Burton have moved on - largely due to salary cap pressure - the new deal for Yeo follows other long-term deals for Australian halfback Nathan Cleary, winger Brian To'o and prop James Fisher-Harris.

Yeo is the first of the current playing group to reach the 200-game milestone and in the coming years he's set to break the most appearances record at the club, which is currently held by 1991 premiership winner Steve Carter with 243.

"I don't know how long that (record) will last, there are a few behind me that will be chomping at the bit," Yeo said.

"But that'll be pretty cool, for a club that's been around for so long, there's no 300-gamer there so we'll see how we go. You need a bit of luck with injuries but we'll see."

Penrith takes on the Canberra Raiders from 6pm on Friday.

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