DANE ELDRIDGE: Isaah Yeo is on the cusp of World Cup legend status

Isaah Yeo has been such a reliable leader for so long that nowadays the only compliment left to pay him is to simply take him for granted.

Already invaluable as an 80-minute workhorse across 286 NRL games, the veteran is also revered as one of the game’s pre-eminent skippers after leading the Panthers, NSW Blues and now Australia in forthright and fatherly fashion.

As statesmanlike with fans and media as he is with referees, Yeo is footy’s version of Barack Obama right down to the four year term of power.

Add this year’s Origin title to the Panther four-peat — and an off-field record so spotless he’d probably self-report for sipping a Diet Coke on Christmas Day — and it’s no surprise he’s one of the premier war generals of the modern game.

But while Yeo mirrors the 44th US President in ministerial decorum, the comparison doesn’t stretch to include his iconic focus on health care because it’s clear the Dubbo native has no consideration for his own.

For those unaware, the Panther is still taking part in this tournament despite rupturing a pectoral muscle in August.

Yes, that’s a ruptured pec — not a strain or a tear — and it’s been six weeks and he’s still making his tackles.

Basically Yeo is either mad, made of metal, or has become so unchallenged by captaincy that he’s having a dip at being the first skipper to win a World Cup with one arm.

Granted, we live in an era where players are insanely resilient and injury layoffs are resolving in record time.

Nathan Cleary needed to fracture a second foot to be sidelined, Kalyn Ponga is scoring tries with a broken arm and no pants, and Reece Walsh is back within minutes despite barfing up his arvo tea on the 20m line.

But in lay terms, tearing a pec in half is historically so debilitating that it’s a miracle Yeo is carrying his own bags to the hotel, let alone playing footy.

And at age 32 with bulk premierships, nobody would’ve batted an eyelid if he’d hung up the boots after such an injury.

But he chose to ignore surgery and the conventional limitations of human biology to return a mere four weeks later delicately held together by nothing more than surrounding muscle and prayers.

And while nobody expected him to survive the first ruck, Yeo is here six weeks later still defying logic as rugby league’s version of Chubbs Petersen juggling.

After chuntering out 80 minutes in the tournament opener against a mean Kiwi pack, it’s now clear not even a double amputation would be enough to sideline Yeo for this tournament.

And if this coincides with leading the Kangaroos to glory, it will surely cement his name as one of the most heroic skippers in Australia’s storied rugby league history.

Yeo already bears similarities to one Kangaroo demigod in Cameron Smith, namely because his reliability and longevity as a leader has become so entrenched it’s taken for granted.

While the reduced international schedule means the inspirational lock is unlikely to best Smith’s extraordinary captaincy record of 30 wins from 33 tests, he’s already mimicking the Storm skipper by not only being so unglamorously consistent that he’s almost anonymous, but by also boasting a highlight reel that is exclusively images of him hoisting trophies.

But what will invariably boost Yeo’s credentials as a modern great?

Leading Australia to a title when he could’ve instead prioritised Penrith and season 2027.

By delaying surgery and jeopardising his availability for round one, the Aussie skipper has demonstrated a deep care about playing for his country in an era where club footy is king and rep eligibility is pliable enough to include extra terrestrials.

Not just as an unwavering leader, Yeo would be celebrated as a guy who’d cut his arm off for the jersey — even though in this case it’d leave him with none.