BAD NEWS: ISAAH YEO AND NATHAN CLEARY ARE HAVING SERIOUS PROBLEMS DUE TO A GROWING RIFT AND STRUGGLING FORM AT PENRITH
IN A SHOCKING TURN OF EVENTS FOR THE PENRITH PANTHERS, CLUB LEADERS ISAAH YEO AND NATHAN CLEARY ARE FACING SERIOUS PROBLEMS THAT THREATEN TO DERAIL THE TEAM’S SEASON. WHILE THE PANTHERS HAVE BECOME A DYNASTY IN RECENT YEARS, WINNING MULTIPLE PREMIERSHIPS, INTERNAL STRAINS AND DECLINING ON-FIELD PERFORMANCE ARE NOW CREATING REAL DOUBTS ABOUT THEIR FUTURE SUCCESS.
AT THE CENTER OF IT ALL ARE TWO OF THE CLUB’S MOST INFLUENTIAL FIGURES — CO-CAPTAINS ISAAH YEO AND NATHAN CLEARY. SOURCES CLOSE TO THE CLUB SAY THE DUO IS GRAPPLING WITH DIFFERENCES OVER LEADERSHIP STYLE, GAME MANAGEMENT, AND RECENT STRATEGIC DECISIONS MADE BY HEAD COACH IVAN CLEARY, NATHAN’S FATHER.
CLEARY’S STRUGGLES WITH FITNESS AND FOCUS
NATHAN CLEARY, LONG CELEBRATED AS ONE OF THE GAME’S BEST HALFBACKS, HAS STRUGGLED TO MAINTAIN CONSISTENT FITNESS IN 2025. MULTIPLE INJURIES OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS HAVE LIMITED HIS IMPACT, AND HIS LATEST HEAD KNOCK RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT HIS LONG-TERM AVAILABILITY. DESPITE HIS RECENT SOCIAL MEDIA POST CLAIMING HIS “BATTERIES ARE CHARGED,” THOSE INSIDE THE CAMP SAY HE’S BEEN LESS ENGAGED DURING TRAINING AND VIDEO SESSIONS, AND HIS LEADERSHIP PRESENCE HAS WANED.
THE BIGGER ISSUE, HOWEVER, SEEMS TO BE CLEARY’S REACTION TO THE TEAM’S DECLINE. HE’S REPORTEDLY FRUSTRATED WITH HIS ROLE IN THE TEAM’S CURRENT GAMEPLAN, FEELING HE’S BEING ASKED TO DO TOO MUCH IN THE ABSENCE OF CONSISTENT SUPPORT FROM THE PACK AND OUTSIDE BACKS. SOME COACHING STAFF MEMBERS HAVE ALSO EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT CLEARY IS FEELING THE PRESSURE OF CARRYING THE CLUB — AND THAT IT’S AFFECTING HIS CONFIDENCE.
ISAAH YEO LOSING PATIENCE
WHILE CLEARY GRAPPLES WITH HIS OWN STRUGGLES, ISAAH YEO HAS TAKEN ON MORE OF THE BURDEN — BOTH ON AND OFF THE FIELD. KNOWN FOR HIS CONSISTENCY AND TOUGHNESS, YEO HAS PRIVATELY EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION WITH WHAT HE PERCEIVES AS A “LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY” FROM SOME SENIOR PLAYERS, INCLUDING CLEARY. ACCORDING TO REPORTS FROM TEAM SOURCES, YEO WAS INVOLVED IN A TENSE EXCHANGE WITH IVAN CLEARY DURING A RECENT TRAINING SESSION, DISAGREEING WITH THE COACH’S CALL TO REST CERTAIN PLAYERS DURING A CRITICAL PREPARATION WEEK.
IN AN INTERVIEW FOLLOWING A SURPRISING LOSS EARLIER IN THE SEASON, YEO ADMITTED: “MOST OF THE DAMAGE WE’RE DOING TO OURSELVES. WE CAN’T KEEP BLAMING INJURIES OR SCHEDULES — IT’S ON US.” MANY TOOK THAT AS A DIRECT MESSAGE TO THE LEADERSHIP GROUP.
RIFT IN THE RANKS?
INSIDERS SUGGEST THAT YEO AND CLEARY’S RELATIONSHIP HAS BEEN UNDER STRAIN SINCE LATE LAST SEASON. WHILE THEY REMAIN PUBLICLY UNITED, PRIVATELY THERE’S BEEN A SERIES OF TENSIONS — FROM DIFFERENCES IN GAME STRATEGY TO CLASHES OVER LEADERSHIP STYLES. CLEARY IS MORE RESERVED AND PROCESS-FOCUSED, WHEREAS YEO IS DESCRIBED AS STRAIGHTFORWARD, BLUNT, AND UNAFRAID TO CALL OUT PLAYERS — INCLUDING CLEARY — WHEN STANDARDS SLIP.
ONE FORMER PLAYER SAID, “THEY’RE TWO COMPETITORS WHO WANT TO WIN, BUT WHEN THE TEAM STARTS SLIPPING, THAT FIRE TURNS INWARD. I WOULDN’T BE SURPRISED IF THEY’VE HAD A FEW BEHIND-THE-DOORS SHOWDOWNS.”
PANTHERS AT A CROSSROADS
IVAN CLEARY HAS ATTEMPTED TO DOWNPLAY THE DRAMA, TELLING REPORTERS AFTER THEIR RECENT LOSS, “NO ONE’S CRYING FOR US. WE KNOW WE’VE GOT TO BE BETTER, AND WE WILL BE.” BUT FANS AND PUNDITS ALIKE HAVE NOTED THAT THIS ISN’T THE SAME PENRITH TEAM THAT DOMINATED IN YEARS PAST.
WITH THE SEASON STILL SALVAGEABLE, THE CLUB’S FUTURE MAY DEPEND ON WHETHER CLEARY AND YEO CAN REPAIR THEIR WORKING RELATIONSHIP AND GALVANIZE THE REST OF THE TEAM. IF NOT, THE DYNASTY BUILT OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS COULD UNRAVEL FASTER THAN ANYONE EXPECTED.
