The unconventional way Isaah Yeo learned he would captain the Kangaroos at Pacific Championships

Isaah Yeo is set to become the first Panther to captain the Kangaroos, MATT ENCARNACION reveals how the unflappable skipper learned the honour had been bestowed.

Less than a day after lifting the Provan-Summons trophy for a fourth straight time, Isaah Yeo was standing over the ironing board when he found out he was going to be the next captain of his country.

Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga appointed Yeo as the man to take over from James Tedesco the day after the Panthers’ historic grand final triumph over Melbourne.

“I was deadset ironing a shirt, getting ready for our (grand final) festivities,” Yeo said at the Panthers premiership celebration with fans on Wednesday.

“And I thought, ‘I wonder if they’ve named the team yet’, and it popped up that the press conference was on. I saw it then.”

Meninga has yet to address the appointment with Yeo, who had more reason to celebrate after taking home his third Merv Cartwright medal at the club’s end-of-season awards on Tuesday.

The Kangaroos will enter camp this weekend of their first game of the Pacific Championships against Tonga XIII in Brisbane on October 18.

Isaah Yeo (L) will captain the Kangaroos at the Pacific Championships, while Penrith teammate Liam Martin (R) will miss the tournament due to injury. Picture: Getty Images

“I’m sure I’ll talk to Mal over the next day or too. He’s pretty good with that, he sort of lets you, off the back of a win, just sort of celebrate, just be around the group,” Yeo said.

“After that, we’ll get back into work mode.”

Yeo, who also overtook Royce Simmons as the club’s most capped player last month, will become the first player in Panthers history to captain his country.

The 29-year-old Dubbo product has now played 245 games.

“I’m over the moon. Representing your country is to me the epitome of the game,” he said.

“It’s everything you want to do as a kid, so to be able to captain your country is very special.

“But it’s probably something I haven’t really thought about yet because there have been so many festivities.

“I’ll have a day or two to get my feet back on the ground and then look forward to it.”

Lindsay Smith was a surprise selection in the Kangaroos. Picture: Getty Images

Joining him in camp for the first time will be Penrith teammate Lindsay Smith, who was a shock selection in the squad following their fourth straight title.

The 24-year-old is all but certain to take over from departing star James Fisher-Harris as the starting front-rower at the Panthers next season.

“He’s been outstanding,” Yeo said.

“Obviously it’s sort of growth in a player from this year to last year. You can see he’s got so much more confidence and he just brings something that not many other front-rowers do.

“He’s got a wonderful skillset.

“I still feel like his best footy is in front of him so to be able to be a part of the Test squad there, it’s not a surprise for us, but I’m super stoked for him. He’ll do a wonderful job.”

Yeo also backed the club’s decision to withdraw from next year’s World Club Challenge due to player workload, which includes their season-opener in Las Vegas.

“It’s just so hard with Vegas. It’s already been brought forward two weeks,” he said.

“You’d love to get it on, I just don’t know you could work it, to be fair. Obviously as a group we’d love to because it’s something we’ve missed, the only thing missing on the resume.

“You’d love another opportunity to try and make amends for that. If we weren’t doing Vegas I reckon we’d be a chance I reckon, but that just makes it a bit harder.”

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Hudson Young has been rushed into the Australian squad after grand final hero Liam Martin was ruled out through injury.

Young is in line to make his Test debut after becoming called into Australia’s 21-man squad for the Pacific Championships.

Martin has been ruled out with shoulder and rib problems. Young has played three games for NSW.

He was originally named in the PM’s XIII squad to take on PNG later this week.

Originally published as The unconventional way Isaah Yeo learned he would captain the Kangaroos at Pacific Championships