NRL 2020: Penrith Panthers gun Dylan Edwards living his dream in rugby league

He’s a former barista with a love of coffee, his young family and just about everything about his role in the NRL.

Penrith's Dylan Edwards during Penrith NRL training. Pic: Brett Costello

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There’s not a day during the NRL season that Dylan Edwards wants to take a sickie.

The Penrith Panther said he struggles to even see his obligations with the club as work.

“It’s a job in a way but it is hard to think of it as a job because it is living my dream,” said the 24-year-old from Glenmore Park who was born and bred in Albury.

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Penrith's Malakai Watene-Zelezniak and Dylan Edwards during Penrith NRL training. Pic: Brett Costello.;

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“You get to play football with your mates. I do love it.’’

But Edwards admits he has faced trying times in his career with one of the worst an extended spell out of first grade side last season.

“I want to be consistent (this season),” said the super fit fullback.

“I started slow and ended up getting dropped … had to make my way back into the side.

“I got dropped for a month.

“It happens. I wasn’t playing well enough. Wasn’t doing my job for the team. It was the best thing for the team, best thing for me.”

Edwards, father of two little girls and working as a former Gloria Jean’s barista when he met partner Nadine in his teens, said time on the sidelines proved a motivator with a decision to “go back to basics’’ helping him refind his form.

Dylan Edwards fends off a tackle by Josh Morris last season. Pic: AAP/Dan Himbrechts.

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“I got back to doing the basics … running hard, just trying not to make too many errors. It’s a pretty big cliche but I just stripped my game back,’’ he said.

“I was a bit down. It was just frustrating I was letting my team down.

“It makes you a bit hungrier. I’m pretty hard on myself. It just made me want to get back and play decent footy.

“I think it worked. It wasn’t like I ever lost any hunger … I just wasn’t playing with enough confidence.’’

With the experience of 45 games in the NRL now under his belt, Edwards, who has lived at Penrith since he was 18, is hoping for a breakout season with the Ivan Cleary’s young Panthers in 2020.

“My goal is to win a premiership,’’ he said.

The first game of the 2020 season for the Penrith Panthers is against the Sydney Roosters at Panthers Stadium on March 14.

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