Dylan Edwards is set to get the nod over Dallin Watene-Zelezniak to start the NRL season as Penrith's fullback as Ivan Cleary closes in on solving one of his first big selection conundrums.

Edwards, who played only eight games last year before suffering a serious shoulder injury, is poised to win back the No.1 he wore to start 2018 despite Dallin Watene-Zelezniak being a revelation in the role for the Panthers.

Back in black: Dylan Edwards. Credit:AAP

Ironically, an interrupted pre-season for Watene-Zelezniak, which forced him to miss the All Stars game with a knee injury, is believed to have tipped the balance in Edwards' favour for the round-one clash against Parramatta.

The fullback spot loomed as one of two contentious issues for Cleary on his return to the Panthers, along with the hooking role, where Sione Katoa and Wayde Egan vying for the No.9 jersey.