“Form player of the competition”: Yeo backs Panthers teammate for Origin call-up

Penrith Panthers and NSW Blues lock forward Isaah Yeo has called for Dylan Edwards to join him in the State of Origin side.

It's one of the biggest selection disputes heading into this year's series: does new head coach Michael Maguire hang onto incumbent captain James Tedesco, or make a change and bring in Penrith fullback Dylan Edwards?

The debate will continue to rage up until the time for the Game 1 team to be selected after Round 12, with Tedesco in solid form for the Roosters, particularly in recent weeks.

Despite that, Yeo called for Edwards to be picked, telling SEN Radio that the Penrith star number one is the "form player of the competition".

“I just feel like any big game we've been apart of at Penrith is when he shines, when the game is at its quickest, I feel like that's when he's played his best games,” Yeo told SEN 1170 Mower's Club.

“He's able to put himself under so much pressure and handle that through fatigue, he's just so incredibly fit.

“I feel like he's finally getting the wraps he's deserved over the last couple of years, off the back of that he's found another gear.

“What he's done for this team, particularly with Nath being out for a fair bit of this start of the season… it's been outstanding for us.

“NSW are lucky that they've got a lot fullbacks to chose (from) that are all in good form at the moment.

“To be fair, I think he's probably been the form player of the competition and what he's done for us has been outstanding.”

Edwards, who has also picked up goal-kicking in the absence of Nathan Cleary this season, has scored five tries, assisted another five, made 49 tackle breaks and ran for a staggering 238 metres per game across his eight appearances so far in 2024.

Yeo himself will be in for an increased role during at least the opening two games of this year's series, with South Sydney Rabbitohs' lock ruled out due to a hip injury.

It means Yeo could well play 80 minutes per game for the Blues across the first two of this year's series, which kicks off in Sydney on Jue 5, before heading to Melbourne and Brisbane.