Why do rival players keep going after Panthers star Dylan Edwards?

Just before half-time, when the Sydney Roosters and Penrith Panthers met last month, Phil Gould was in the commentary box and spoke about Dylan Edwards.

Edwards had just made an error, and then flung Connor Watson to the ground by his collar.

“You have to be careful sometimes with who you take on – Dylan Edwards can hold his hands up, and he knows it, too,” Gould said.

“He’s actually smiling and saying, ‘if only you knew’.”

A week later, Edwards stood over Melbourne’s Nick Meaney and gave him a decent spray for making an error before all hell broke loose.

Then the following week, against the Bulldogs, Edwards accidentally flattened Canterbury’s Matt Burton before being shoved in the back by AJ Jones, which led to the two teams coming together.

Go back a few months this season, and Edwards was the one who took on the Warriors and former teammate James Fisher-Harris after ‘Fish’ clapped in the face of Paul Alamoti, whose error had led to a try.

Edwards is often perceived as one of the gentlest men in rugby league, despite growing up on the NSW north coast as a talented boxer.

There was the photo of him meditating in the middle of Optus Stadium preceding NSW’s captain’s run before Origin II last year.

Or the warm and fuzzy pre-game interview he did just last week, on Father’s Day, when he promised his two young daughters he would try to score a double for them.

So how do you explain opposition players forever getting in his face?

Are they trying to put him off his game?

Maybe it has something to do with Edwards himself being one of the best sledgers in the game. Several Panthers said the verbal attacks were more akin to Australian Test captain Steve Waugh’s “mental disintegration”, as opposed to thoughtless expletives.

“People get passionate and fired up – I’ve always enjoyed the combativeness that rugby league brings,” Edwards told this masthead.

“There are no fights, it’s only push and shove now. You can’t let yourself get too riled up.

“I don’t think they go in with an intention [to put me off]. I probably give as good as I get to be fair. It’s how it goes.”

Several rival players rated Edwards one of the best when it came to chirping opponents. There was a game against the North Queensland Cowboys in 2023 when Scott Drinkwater slotted the winning field goal, then immediately made a point of celebrating in front of Edwards.

Panthers centre Casey McLean said Edwards was often verbally launching into the opposition – and his teammates.

“If you do something wrong, you’ll hear the chirp – (and) he gives you this disappointed dad look, which I always see,” McLean said.

“You see other players look at him. He’ll laugh at people if they do dumb shit. It’s fun to hear it. It’s definitely better to be on his team rather than against him.”

Panthers CEO Matt Cameron had definitely noticed teams in the last month engage in the push and shove with the workhorse fullback.

“I’ve noticed teams niggling him of late – all I’d say is they do it at their own peril,” Cameron said.

“But he’s professional and smart enough to know where the line is, and not to cross it because he’s such a team man.

“I know our co-captains’ names get bandied around a lot when it comes to our success, but Dyl is just as important to what we’re doing every single day of the week.

“He’s the ultimate professional; he’s Mr Reliable,” Cameron said.

“Look at how many times this year, in clutch moments, he’s made a tackle, or saved a try, and that play turns the game.

“He’s fitter and faster and stronger, and we’re certainly happy we have him.”

Edwards, now 30, said the last time he threw a punch was at 17, when inside a boxing ring.

“It was years and years ago,” he said.

“I prefer not to be involved in push and shoves on the field. If it happens, it happens. It’s not in my nature to take a backward step.”

Edwards missed out on Origin selection this year to Sunday’s rival, Roosters skipper James Tedesco. In a sense, he said, skipping the series may help him stay that little bit more mentally and physically fresh this September.

“Origin takes a lot out of you ... but you’d still prefer to be playing Origin rather than not,” he said.

“‘Teddy’ is so consistent and never performs below a seven out of 10. He brings leadership, and the way he carries the footy, sets up tries, saves them – I’m still a big admirer of Teddy.”