During his time with Manly, Yakich was considered one of the fastest players in rugby league behind only North Sydney's Ken Irvine and South Sydney's 1962 Commonwealth Games 100 yards Bronze Medallist, Michael Cleary. Yakich was also unlucky not to play more than three games for New South Wales (NSW) during his career, regularly competing with test wingers Irvine, Cleary, Johnny King and Eddie Lumsden (both from the record setting St. George Dragons of the 1960s) for a place in the side.