MVP Dylan Edwards is the man Penrith's system might not be able to cover
The Panthers' system covers most situations, but how would it cope without iron man Dylan Edwards?
Key Penrith recruit Trent Merrin has backed under-siege playmaker Jamie Soward to make a success of the 2016 NRL season at the Panthers amid continued speculation over his future.
Merrin reunited this week with his St George Illawarra premiership-winning teammate at the foot of the mountains, believing Soward still had much to offer as an elite footballer.
He says Soward has been leading from the front at Panthers pre-season training and has tipped him to have a big 2016 season.
“He is looking really fit and really motivated,” Merrin said on Tuesday.
“He is leading from the front at training; he is doing a lot of talking; it is a side of him I haven’t seen before.
“He knows he is under pressure but he is responding to that. I haven’t been with him like this for a few years, but it is great to see him like this.
“This is a new Jamie Soward.”
NSW State of Origin forward Merrin is crucial to new Panthers coach Anthony Griffin’s premiership plans and knows he is under pressure to perform too as the club’s big-money signing ahead of next season.
“This move was about reinvigorating my career and getting out of my comfort zone,” Merrin said.
“It is about challenging myself and doing something different and I am looking forward to that.
“I know I have to perform, but footy is a long way off. We have a big pre-season ahead of us and then we can worry about that.”
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