Dylan Edwards has admitted the emotional moment he shared with his fiancee after missing out on his Origin debut after a shock injury curtailed his Blues fairytale. Edwards was set to realise an NRL dream and make his Blues debut in Game 1 against the Maroons, before a ‘freak’ injury left him unable to train at full capacity ahead of the game.
The Panthers fullback made the decision to withdraw from the squad, which allowed James Tedesco to take the No.1 jersey. The Blues lost the opening game in devastating fashion after they were reduced to 12 men for most of the contest in a nightmare opener.
Players often play with injuries throughout the season. But Edwards admitted he didn’t want to play his debut game hampered with an injury and let his teammates down, which prompted the brutal call to step down.
“It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster. I was incredibly disappointed initially when I got injured, but that’s the nature of the beast with the highs and lows,” he said after being selected for Game 1, before withdrawing from the starting 17.
“After I got over that, I tried to help the boys as much as possible, and then I had some boxes I needed to tick to get back. The medical staff was really good through the process to get the body right, and then I got the call from ‘Madge’ (NSW coach Michael Maguire) which was awesome.”
Edwards admitted he shared an emotional moment with his partner and family after missing out on his debut. “It was the disappointment of working so hard for so long and then it just disappeared,” Edwards told AAP.
“I didn’t really think about the future (and whether I’d be back in Blues colours). I was fortunate that my family and my fiancee were up there in the resort where we were staying. I just had a moment with them and then to myself where I let my emotions out. I don’t really get emotional like that often, but it meant a lot.”
Michael Maguire made sure to select Edwards for the must-win Game 2 clash with the Panthers fullback proving his fitness and returning to action on the weekend. And Edwards has admitted he feels back to his best since the injury, despite the setback ahead of his Blues debut.
“I’ll treat it like I normally would,” he said. “My body feels good. It was just a freak thing doing normal shape that we’ve run heaps, but I didn’t pull up really well.
“There was no chance to play because it got taken out of my hands. We did our due diligence and got a scan, and it showed something there. The nature of the injury impacted my high-speed running, and that’s something I have to do a bit of at the back.”
Liam Martin reveals tough Dylan Edwards moment
While the Blues fullback was remaining upbeat about the setback, teammate Martin revealed the eye-opening moment he ran into Edwards with his fiancee after the tough withdrawal from the Blues squad. “He obviously went through that pretty tough period in the first game, but he’s come in and he’s really positive and really excited,” Martin said on Tuesday.
“My partner and I saw him and his partner out at brekky and you could tell that he was devastated. He doesn’t show much, but he was a bit emotional when he first heard the news, but then he got over it. He hides it pretty well.”
Dylan Edwards praised for selfless Origin action
While Edwards faced the brutal realisation he wouldn’t be playing in Game 1, and might not get selected for Game 2 if the Blues win and Tedesco plays the house down, he opted to remain around camp to help the team. And Martin was full of praise for Edwards’ attitude despite the setback.
“He showed why he’s such a good teammate. He was on such a high because he was going to live out a childhood dream, and all of a sudden it got snatched away from him with an injury,” he said.
RELATED:
“I think most people would’ve wanted to go home and hide in their room, but he stayed in camp and helped where he could like the ultimate team man that he is. That’s exactly what Madge is trying to build by putting the team and the state first, and he certainly did that.” The Maroons will be looking to wrap up their third straight series victory next Wednesday when they take on the Blues in Melbourne for Game 2.
with AAP and NewsWire