NRL gun Isaah Yeo’s family out to make own mark in rugby league
Footy fans know Isaah Yeo as a modern day NRL powerhouse. But he’s not the only one with talent with a new generation of his family ready to impress.
Illawarra Star
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Sometimes footy talent is in the genes and that’s the case for the emerging stars of the Yeo family.
Isaah Yeo is an NRL powerhouse and arguably the league’s best lock forward for the Penrith Panthers, the NSW Blues and Kangaroos.
What fans might not know though is that there is a whole Yeo clan making moves in the representative footy scene.
Zali, 19, the cousin of sisters Sienna, 17, and Rhian, 16, are all emerging footy stars.
All representing different teams within the Illawarra Steelers, the Yeo’s are considered some of the most promising prospects within the club, with all three having ambitions to reach the NRLW in the future.
Long time NRL fans will know that Isaah isn’t the first of his family to break onto the national footy scene, with father Justin Yeo representing North Sydney and Balmain in the NRL between 1998 and 1999.
For young Zali Yeo, daughter of Justin and sister of Isaah, footy was something she chased.
Growing up in Mudgee, four and a half hours away from her current home in Wollongong, Zali signed up to train with the Midwest Brumbies without telling her parents.
“Footy for women isn’t very big out there, it’s only just started taking off,” Zali Yeo said.
“I got away with training for a bit without telling my parents, they didn’t ask any questions, so I sort of just threw myself into playing rugby league without them knowing.
“After a while they found out. Mum was not sold on it, but Dad loved it.
“He lives and breathes footy, I was just another person in his life he could talk to about it.
“Dad let me play, got me some shoulder pads so I would look bigger.
“During Covid he saw a Facebook ad about sign ups to the Steelers, and we went from there.”
Today she is studying part time at the University of Wollongong, but putting most of her attention into getting the footy over the white line from the wing of the inaugural Illawarra Steelers Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership side.
“It’s a pretty unreal experience, I’m loving all the sessions and games every week,” Zali said.
“It’s definitely a big step up, playing against actual women.
“It’s great to have the experience of some of the girls like Emma [Tonegato], Fui [Taliah Fuimaono] and Kez [Kezie Apps], just being around players who have been in and among football for so long, learning from them all the time.
“I feel quite blessed.”
A couple of years behind Zali is cousin Sienna, who is currently the starting halfback for the Illawarra Steelers in the Tarsha Gale Cup.
Sienna also carved her own path into playing competitive footy.
“Growing up I was always a netballer, that was my Mum’s passion, she loves her netball,” Sienna said.
“Along the way though I started playing touch, OzTag and league tag, before playing my first year of tackle footy in 2020.
“Mum’s not overly happy with it because it’s not netball … I think she just doesn’t want to see us get hurt.
“Dad is the opposite, footy is his passion, he played for the Steelers when he was younger as well so we’re following in his footsteps a bit.
“Now myself and all three of my sisters are playing tackle footy.”
One such sister is Rhian, who is gearing up to play in the inaugural Illawarra Steelers side for the Lisa Fiaola Cup which commences this weekend.
Like Sienna, Rhian started with netball but took matters into her own hands when it came to football.
“I signed up by myself,” Rhian said.
“I played my first game last year and absolutely loved it.
“The roughness, the tackling, the intensity, that’s what I loved the most.”
Both sisters have aspirations of progressing through the pathways at the Steelers to make their way up the NRLW.
“That’s what we’re all working towards,” Rhian said.
“Right now I just want to learn, improve my skills and my game knowledge which is still quite limited.
“Hopefully I’ll get some knowledge and experience to help me as I go through the pathways.”
Sienna’s Tarsha Gale Cup side sit impressively in fourth on the ladder, but face a tough contest against the second placed Bulldogs at Hammondville Oval this weekend.
This will be followed by Zali’s Women’s Premiership Steelers, who are currently in third, facing the second placed Bulldogs in what is set to be a clash of the titans.
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