One player who would have welcomed the rest more than any other Penrith teammate last weekend was Dylan Edwards.
Edwards has been one of the standout performers for the premiers for several years, is the NSW and Kangaroos’ fullback incumbent, but has struggled under the high ball and with handling errors in the past two games he has played.
Penrith’s Dylan Edwards had a couple of rough weeks before enjoying a break.Credit: NRL
There was a loose carry at the start of golden point against the Storm before Harry Grant took full advantage of the field position to score a try.
Then there was another dropped ball, which allowed Canberra’s Ethan Strange to score in regulation time, before the Raiders went on to win the Miracle in Mudgee in golden point.
Edwards made eight errors across the opening 11 games this season, but 10 in his past five games.
The 29-year-old has spoken in the past about the importance of the mental side of the game, and how he started working with high-performance manager Carl Jennings after he lost form in the middle of 2019.
He is a deep thinker, and now practices breathing and mindfulness every day, including every captain’s run, where he finds a quiet spot, shuts his eyes, loses his shoes, and allows himself to be only consumed by what he can hear around him.
Edwards and 13 other Panthers will return for Saturday’s trip to Wollongong against St George Illawarra, with only Brian To’o and Liam Martin to enjoy another week on the sidelines before the start of next week’s finals.
Edwards would love a standout performance against the Dragons and regain some confidence and momentum heading into September as the premiers chase a fifth straight title.
