Dylan Edwards could be a shock inclusion for the Panthers on Sunday afternoon just days after the superstar fullback was supposed to make his State of Origin debut before he was ruled out with a quad injury.
The workhorse fullback has been listed in jersey No.23, with Penrith’s four other Blues players named to start against the Sea Eagles as they look to bounce back from a disappointing loss at home to the Dragons.
It would be a remarkable comeback by Edwards considering he was ruled out of the Origin opener after suffering the injury on Saturday while doing extras at the end of a session, with former Blues skipper James Tedesco replacing him at the back.
Even if he doesn’t play this weekend, the signs suggest he will be right to face the Knights in Round 15 to prove his fitness for game two of the Origin series.
The Panthers are one of the clubs who were granted exemptions this week to name extra players on the bench, with team allowed to pick an additional player in the reserves if they have three guys in Origin, while they can pick an extra two players if they have four or more representatives.
Wednesday’s game has wreaked havoc with some stars backing up, others named on the bench, while Nicho Hynes has been rested for Cronulla’s trip to Brisbane to give his calf a chance to recover.
Blues rookie Cameron McInnes will make the trip north but Teig Wilton (AC joint) is out for the clash against a Broncos side that has named its Origin quartet to start.
The Dragons have named Ben Hunt, Zac Lomax and Jaydn Su’A in the reserves for Friday’s game against the Wests Tigers and will be monitored with only 48 hours between games.
The Tigers welcome Justin Olam back from suspension, with Charlie Staines moving to right centre where he’ll play alongside towering winger Alex Lobb who makes his first start in the NRL.
Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo has made a big call in the halves with Toby Sexton retained to play alongside Matt Burton, with Drew Hutchison listed in the reserves.
They face the Eels on Monday who will unleash young gun Blaize Talagi in the centres with confirmation from the club that Bailey Simonsson has done his ACL and will miss the rest of the season.
The Titans suddenly look a lot stronger with Kieran Foran, Phillip Sami and Jojo Fifita returning to the starting side, while Jayden Campbell and Tanah Boyd are listed in the reserves and could also return from injury.
They face a Souths side that gets Cody Walker back from a calf strain, while Grant Anderson replaces Will Warbrick on the wing for the Storm, with Ryan Papenhuyzen at least another week away.
And the cavalry is starting to return for the Warriors with Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Tohu Harris, Wayde Egan, Addin Fonua-Blake and Kurt Capewell all back, but they are still without Shaun Johnson who remains on the injured list.
They travel to Townsville where the Cowboys have named their six Origin stars on an extended bench.
