EDWARDS IS RIGHT AT HOME AT PANTHERS

the nature of professional sport.

“It’s pretty cliché but honestly, it is what it is,” he said bluntly.

As far as Penrith players of the current era goes, there’s not too many more loyal than Clive Churchill Medal-winning fullback Dylan Edwards. While some of his teammates are choosing to move on for more money or opportunity, the 27-year-old has remained solid and committed to the club that awarded him his NRL debut as a skinny winger back in 2016.

As he enters his eighth season in the top grade, Edwards is well aware what the price of success looks like.

As teams, like the Panthers, win multiple premierships, the players (and sometimes coaches) that make up those teams become hot property.

In the past six weeks, Edwards has heard two of his teammates – Stephen Crichton and Spencer Leniu – deliver the news that they’ll be departing at the conclusion of 2023.

Speaking with Extra Time on Tuesday, Edwards said while it’s sad to see those players depart, he understands that’s

“Credit to them for securing nice contracts for their family, but it’s just the price of success.

“The club’s value goes up as you succeed, and other clubs want to get their hands on you – not so much me – but it’s definitely sad to see them go.”

Crichton will link up with some former Panthers at the Bulldogs in 2024, while fellow local junior Leniu has agreed to terms with the Sydney Roosters for next year and beyond.

Edwards said it hurts to see teammates, that he’s enjoyed so many good times with, leave for new colours.

“You build a bond with them over how many years you’ve trained and played with them, but you just hope they do really well wherever they go,” he said.

“I’m not sure how they think when they make their decisions for leaving, but I’m sure they wouldn’t go to a club they didn’t think they could have success at.

“A lot of them have young families or we have grown up together, so it’s definitely sad to see people leave.”

Following his best season of his career last year, Edwards played his first game last Friday night since last October’s Grand Final victory over Parramatta.

After a niggling hamstring injury cost him the opportunity to play in the World Club Challenge last month, Edwards said it was good to return to the paddock after an off-season of celebrating, relaxing and even proposing to his long-time partner, Nadine.

“I’ve been with Nadine since I was playing in the Under 20s and we have a couple of kids together, so the proposal was well overdue,” he admitted.

“Nadine was wrapped with it! I just proposed up on the Central Coast, up at Magenta there on the beach.”

Edwards is expecting to tie the knot at the end of the year.

POSITION: FULLBACK | NRL DEBUT: V SHARKS, JULY 2016

WEIGHT: 94KG |

HEIGHT: 183CM |

DOB: 10/01/96 |

You could see the difference straight away.

The Broncos defence that was once moving up quickly and getting into the face of the Panthers during last Friday’s match, all-of-a sudden were running backwards and not getting their defensive line set as quickly. It was the 54th minute and the man causing all this chaos was 27-year-old Soni Luke.

By darting from dummy half and finding space up the middle, Brisbane were for the first time in the game, back-peddling. However it wasn’t just Luke’s running game which had the Broncos bamboozled, some slick, sharp passing to his attacking playmakers was beginning to have an effect on the opposition as well.

Then when Luke barged over to score a try beside the posts with four minutes left in the match, the Panthers were back and Soni Luke… had finally arrived.

Actually that statement is not completely fair.

In rugby league there’s no such thing as an overnight sensation. It’s just that we don’t always know the back-story of every player’s journey to first grade.

Luke’s journey began in the lower grades at the St Marys Saints before he became a part of and eventually co-captained the Panthers Premiership-winning NYC side in 2015.

Everyone was taking notice of Luke back then as he was also in the same side as his now illustrious teammates James Fisher-Harris, Jarome Luai and Dylan Edwards.

Now while they might’ve made their first-grade debuts years ahead of him, Luke unfortunately picked up some serious injuries, which severely stunted his development.

First a shoulder reconstruction on his right arm was followed by a torn left pectoral muscle soon after in 2020.

Nobody would have blamed him if he had walked away from the game there and then. Fortunately, Luke doesn’t know the meaning of the words ‘giving up’.

He did his rehab, kept plugging away and on Sunday, April 24 2022, against the Raiders at BlueBet Stadium, the 26-year-old finally made his first grade debut.

I remember the crowd gave a loud cheer that day when Luke ran on. They knew that someone special had just taken the field.

There’s an anonymous sports quote which best sums up Soni Luke’s incredible journey over the last 10 years.

“Remember the guy that gave up? Neither does anyone else.”

That’s why every player and coach in the NRL