Yeo delays surgery to keep Penrith premiership and World Cup dreams alive

Penrith Panthers captain Isaah Yeo has delayed surgery on a ruptured pectoral muscle to keep his premiership and World Cup dreams alive, hoping to lead Australia on home soil and secure a contract extension until 2030. He is also backing Nathan Cleary to play in Sunday's preliminary final against Newcastle. Yeo, 31, injured the muscle tackling the New Zealand Warriors last month and initially feared his season was over, but a surgeon offered a four-week window to assess recovery. He has since made 48 tackles without a miss across two games, playing without painkillers and knowing the injury cannot worsen. Yeo, Penrith's most-capped player with 285 games, wants to spearhead a fifth title in six seasons and play in the World Cup, with coach Kevin Walters expected to pick him first. Contract talks are on hold until season's end, and he hopes to stay alongside Cleary.