Isaah Yeo will lead NSW onto Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night buoyed by the fact he’ll be followed by a further seven NRL club captains.

The eight club captains are Isaah Yeo (Penrith), Nathan Cleary (Penrith), Cameron Murray (South Sydney), James Tedesco (Sydney Roosters), Stephen Crichton (Canterbury), Mitchell Moses (Parramatta), Blayke Brailey (Cronulla), and Mitch Barnett (New Zealand Warriors).

Yeo said that when you’re a captain, you get a feel for the game, you know how it’s going, so he’ll be leaning on those other boys.

“I definitely don’t think you can have too much leadership,” Yeo said. “I lead differently to ‘Critta’ [Crichton]. He’s a real connector and an emotional driver, whereas me and ‘Nath’ are a bit similar with our styles. We all bring our own strengths to the table.”

Cleary said the ability of NSW’s club captains to share leadership roles on the field could only help NSW. “At this level, everyone is a leader in their own right. But to have the actual captains who are used to carrying that load each week, it’s nice to have people to take a load off each other in such a high-pressure environment,” he said.

Crichton added that leadership is the biggest thing, especially in big games like this when they’re going up to Suncorp.

The Eels playmaker Mitchell Moses said that when you’ve got so many leaders in the group, it means you don’t have to do all the talking, and you can nail down your focus on your role and what’s best for the team.

NSW left their Kingscliff camp on Sunday and crossed the border, where they will continue preparations on Monday at Ballymore. The only injury concern is Ethan Strange, who has been rated a “50/50” chance to take his place on the bench and will need to be running at the penultimate session.

NSW will face Queensland in the series decider at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night, with the winner claiming the State of Origin trophy. Queensland feature three club captains, including Kalyn Ponga (Newcastle), Harry Grant (Melbourne), and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui (Gold Coast).

'When you're a captain, you get a feel for the game, you know how it’s going,' Yeo said.

Key Facts

Leadership: 8 club captains will lead NSW in the decider. Captains: Isaah Yeo, Nathan Cleary, Cameron Murray, James Tedesco, Stephen Crichton, Mitchell Moses, Blayke Brailey, and Mitch Barnett. Injury concern: Ethan Strange, who has a 50/50 chance to take his place on the bench. Game date: 2026-07-05. NSW preparation: NSW left Kingscliff on Sunday and are now preparing at Ballymore. Queensland features: 3 club captains, including Kalyn Ponga, Harry Grant, and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui.