NRL SuperCoach Champion’s Choice: Dylan Edwards

NRL SuperCoach winner Guy Feeney predicts Dylan Edwards will average 65 points this year — despite costing $200,000 less than Teddy, Turbo and Ponga.

In the second instalment of Champions Choice articles (focussing on left of field players), I turn my eye to a side that I think may push for the title.

The Panthers have a great mixture of experience and youth in the halves, some dynamic forwards mixed in with a few hard heads, some exciting outside backs, great depth and a bloke who should be on everyone’s watchlist if he locks down the fullback spot.

Dylan Edwards ($473,700) FLB

Guy Feeney has his eye on Penrith Panthers youngster Dylan Edwards.

Injury cut short Edwards’ 2018 campaign 14 minutes into the eighth game of the season. He ended up averaging 50 for the year.

If you take out his injury-affected game his average bounces up to 55.

This would have sat him in the tier behind James Tedesco, Tom Trbojevic and Kalyn Ponga with the likes of:

Will Hopoate – 59

Gareth Widdop – 59

Cameron Munster – 58

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck – 57

Edwards showed his ability to evade defenders making 29 tackle busts and six line breaks before injury.

Edwards is also a quality defender missing on average less than a tackle a game.

If you have a closer look at his 2018 statistics it’s clear to see where his upside is.

Edwards opened the season with a 73 before following up with a 44 (against a strong Souths side this is acceptable).

LISTEN! Resident SuperCoach experts Tom Sangster and Tim Williams have the lowdown on the players to target and avoid in 2019.

He then turned in a 66 point performance in the game that saw Nathan Cleary go down with injury.

A breakdown of this game showed that Edwards scored his try in the first half whilst Cleary was still on the field.

Edwards wouldn’t play with Cleary again for the rest of the season.

He scored 38 and 23 points in the next two games as he struggled to adjust to his new spine combination, but then found his feet to finish with 93 and 49 before his season ending injury.

With an opening draw of Eels (h), Knights (a), Storm (Bathurst), Tigers (h) and Titans (a), there is potential for him to get off to a really fast start.

By all accounts Edwards has been training at fullback this pre-season.

If he can hold off Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Caleb Aekins for the No. 1 gig and stay healthy, I predict he will average around the 65 point per game mark this season and end up as a top five scoring fullback.

Whilst this isn’t the 70+ points of Teddy, Turbo and Ponga from last year the $200k discount could allow you to upgrade in another position.

MORE SUPERCOACH:

Full SuperCoach News section / Cheapie Bible / Predicted round one teams / Sangster’s team / Champ’s team / Wilfred’s team / Tallis’s team / Copes’ team / Huge rule change / Top 10 rookies in NRL

Originally published as NRL SuperCoach Champion’s Choice: Dylan Edwards