Fit, firing and driven by a renewed passion, fullback Dylan Edwards returned to top form as the Panthers shut out the Broncos 26-0 to avenge last year's gut-wrenching preliminary final defeat.
Edwards was in everything as Penrith romped to the biggest Round 1 win against a defending premier since 1988, scoring a try, running for a game-high 260 metres as well as playing a key role in their perfect defence.
After a stunning run of form during the Panthers' four-year title reign, Edwards found things a whole lot tougher in 2025, culminating in the loss of his spot Kangaroos jersey for the Ashes tour to Brisbane's Reece Walsh.
"The guys in this team work really hard and I don't want to be the one that lets them down," Edwards said post-match.
“I finished the year sub-par, lost a bit of passion throughout last year as well, so I wanted to have a good pre-season and play well this year.
“I still have plenty to work on... far from the complete performance.
“(As a team) we came up here, we got a job done, and that's what we came here to do.”
Dylan Edwards Try
One person who never doubted the 30-year-old's ability to bounce back was Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary, who provided the last pass to set Edwards up for his try.
“Everyone knows within the club just how much of a freak he is, how reliable he is. I love having him as my fullback," said Cleary.
“Every time I take the field with him I have the utmost trust he is going to be putting his body on the line and putting in 100 percent effort.
“He did it again tonight and came up with some massive defensive plays."
From the field: Isaah Yeo
For Edwards, the combination between himself and co-captains Cleary and Isaah Yeo helped bring out the best in him as a player.
“They're world class players and we're close off the field as well, I think that helps,” Edwards said.
“We're a good, connected group and we enjoy each other's company, so that helps when you go out in the field and you're in the heat of battle. You can lean on each other and rely on each other.
“Like I said, they're world class players and they definitely make our team better.”
