Shock new detail about Dylan Edwards injury as James Tedesco rushed into NSW Origin team

Michael Maguire has revealed Dylan Edwards suffered his quad injury while doing extra work after training on Saturday, and the fullback has a "one-to-two-week" injury. Edwards was ruled out of State of Origin I for NSW on Saturday, with James Tedesco earning a staggering recall.

Edwards sent a huge scare through NSW camp when he reported some soreness in his quad after training in the Blue Mountains on Saturday. The situation appeared dire when Maguire contacted Roosters coach Trent Robinson to tell him he'd need Tedesco on standby should Edwards be ruled out. And the heartbreaking situation eventuated on Sunday morning when the Blues made the call that Edwards won't play.

Tedesco won't play for the Roosters against the Cowboys on Sunday and will be rushed straight into NSW camp. The Blues were granted a special exemption from the ARL Commission because Tedesco wasn't part of the initial 20-man squad.

Reports had initially emerged that Edwards' injury wasn't particularly serious, and both Ivan and Nathan Cleary expressed confidence on Saturday night that he would be right to play in the Origin opener. But Maguire wasn't willing to risk an underdone Edwards, especially with a red-hot Tedesco waiting in the wings.

Micheal Maguire reveals new details about Dylan Edwards injury

“I’m gutted for Dyl," Maguire said. “Seeing his face, it is shattering when you see one of your players go through that. Dyl was doing really well training-wise, he was outstanding. Teddy (Tedesco) will do the same, we all know he’s one hell of a replacement."

Maguire revealed to the Daily Telegraph that Edwards suffered the injury while doing extra work after training. “We’d finished training and he did it during his extras at the end," Maguire said. “He felt it in his quad and felt nothing of it and then the doctor had a good chat with him and we got a scan there this morning and it showed there was a one-to-two week strain there."

Dylan Edwards played 2021 grand final with broken foot

Fans had earlier pointed out that Edwards is as tough as they come and played the finals series in 2021 with a broken foot. He was wearing a moon boot on his right foot just days before the grand final that year, but still played and ran for over 200 metres.

“He couldn’t walk all week, actually for a couple of weeks. We would play and he would have the foot up for the rest of the week on crutches, in a boot,” Panthers trainer Hayden Knowles said at the time.

“We did a fitness test with him where everyone was that nervous - but you don’t want to show the players that you’re nervous - but a lot of staff thought he wouldn’t get through it. We allowed him to just go out on the (training) field, visualise a defensive set, show us how you want to move, he was pretending he was chasing a kick.

“We just trusted him and actually asked him ‘are you in?’ and he said ‘I’m in’,. We turned around and yelled out to Ivan ‘he’s in’ and Ivan just started clapping. (It proved his) toughness physically but mentally he is probably one of the toughest I know.”

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It marks a brutal twist for the Edwards after he finally got called up for Origin. Maguire made the bold call to pick Edwards and axe the incumbent captain Tedesco for his team for Game I. Edwards has been in sublime form for the past four seasons, helping the Panthers win three grand finals and snaring a Clive Churchill Medal.