He'd received mountains of messages in the lead-up to Sunday night's decider.

There had been the messages of good luck and of hope, wishing for the chance to see the St John's and Dubbo CYMS product on stage post-game with premiership silverware in his hands.

Any premiership win is special, but the first for Yeo, fellow Dubbo junior Matt Burton, and so many within a close-knit and family-focused Penrith club was something they and those close to them will never forget.

"It means everything," Yeo told Channel 9 after the 14-12 grand final win over South Sydney.

"I've played 170 games (for Penrith), they gave me my opportunity.

"I'm representing everyone back home in Dubbo and all that. I've got a massive family and to see the messages I got during the week, you see how much it means to people.

"It's bloody unreal."

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The win evaporated the pain suffered last year when the Panthers suffered grand final defeat at the hands of the Melbourne Storm.

On Sunday night, they came out with confidence.

As has been the case all the season for Penrith, Yeo and Burton were again a massive part of the Panthers' win over the Rabbitohs.

Burton scored the first try of the grand final, sparking scenes of joy among Panthers' fans at Suncorp Stadium, at Penrith, and in loungerooms around Dubbo.

The 21-year-old shone again in the centres in his last match for Penrith before linking with the Bulldogs.

He proved a handful nearly every time he ran the ball while he produced one of the game's big moments in the second half when tackling Souths' winger Jaxson Paulo into touch.

Yeo was again immense in the middle of the field.

He got through a mountain of work in defence and made 36 tackles while, as always, providing that link between the forward and backs with his ability to ball play and give his halves time and space.

Yeo and fellow co-captain Nathan Cleary, who was also named Clive Churchill medallist as player of the match, savoured a long embrace after the final whistle went.

The pair have been a huge part of the club's rise to premiership winners in recent years and the camaraderie and desire to get it done for your mates was again clear to see on Sunday night.

It hadn't come easy for the Panthers.

Not only did they have to overcome the pain of grand final defeat last year, but a loss to South Sydney in week one of the finals forced them into bruising encounters with Parramatta and then Melbourne.

There was injuries suffered on the way but they passed both those tests, with the steely defence proving key, and then the men from the foot of the mountains held off the attacking juggernaut of Souths to claim the game's biggest prize.

"We've got an awesome squad here," Yeo said.

"We never give up. That's three-in-a-row, three hard games and no-one gave us a chance.

"To be fighting and still come away with it, it's bloody unreal."

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