Dylan Edwards has admitted the emotional moment he shared with his fiancee after missing out on his Origin debut after a shock injury curtailed his Blues fairytale. Edwards was set to realise an NRL dream and make his Blues debut in Game 1 against the Maroons, before a ‘freak’ injury left him unable to train at full capacity ahead of the game.

The Panthers fullback made the decision to withdraw from the squad, which allowed James Tedesco to take the No.1 jersey. The Blues lost the opening game in devastating fashion after they were reduced to 12 men for most of the contest in a nightmare opener.

Players often play with injuries throughout the season. But Edwards admitted he didn’t want to play his debut game hampered with an injury and let his teammates down, which prompted the brutal call to step down.

“It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster. I was incredibly disappointed initially when I got injured, but that’s the nature of the beast with the highs and lows,” he said after being selected for Game 1, before withdrawing from the starting 17.