NRL 2025: Dylan Edwards pushing to star at Las Vegas after off-season shoulder surgery

Dylan Edwards was the last player to report for Panthers’ pre-season training after a busy break, but he’s already pushing to get back on the field in Sin City.

Penrith Panthers fullback Dylan Edwards is on-track for round 1. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Penrith’s four-time premiership hero Dylan Edwards is on track to face Cronulla in the NRL season opener in Las Vegas as he recovers from off-season shoulder surgery.

Now in his second week back at training, Edwards has since started light contact work but is aiming to play round one at Allegiant Stadium on March 1.

“It’s going really well, it’s healing up nicely and I haven’t had any hiccups which is nice,” he said on Monday.

“If it all goes to plan I’ll be available (for round 1).

“I’ve started some light contact stuff now, I’ll just gradually build in and it’s my second week back now.”

Edwards underwent the same procedure as Panthers skipper Nathan Cleary immediately following the end of the Pacific Championships in mid-November.

The tough fullback had carried the injury for the past two years, but scans conducted after the Kangaroos beat Tonga in the final showed he needed it fixed.

The expected recovery time is between 14-16 weeks, and round 1 falls right in that time frame.

“I think it should be on track, I don’t think we’re forcing anything or pushing anything, it’s just how it falls,” he said.

“I’ve been carrying it for a little bit. I got a knock two years ago and then last year another one, it wasn’t feeling right, it wasn’t coming good as we’d like or as good as I’d like.

“It was just the joint wasn’t as stable as it could have been.

“Occasionally (it hurt). Tackling, if I got a knock on it. Depends on how the game went.”

The first of two groups of Panthers players fly out to Las Vegas on February 20, where they will be based for the week leading into the season opener.

A second group will follow after the club’s trial against Manly on February 21.

The first trial game is just three weeks away, when the premiers face Canberra at Shark Park on February 8.

Preparations are in swing for another premiership push in 2025.

Edwards, 29, was the last player due to report pre-season training as of last week after a busy off-season that included surgery and marrying his long term partner Nadine in late November.

“Got married, no honeymoon though, we’ll save that (for next off-season),” he said.

“We relaxed, had some time with family and friends and people you don’t get to spend a lot of time with through the year.

“(The wedding) was great, Nadine and I loved it. It was perfect for us.

“We haven’t planned (a honeymoon yet), we’ll start to have a think where we want to go. We’ve got two little girls so we’ve got to plan around them too.”