With Nicho Hynes hurt, the Sharks are determined to dispel the sceptics.
After their star halfback was ruled out until the end of the season, the Sharks have responded to suggestions that their inability to make a deep run into the NRL finals is due to the loss of Nicho Hynes. Hynes was hoping to recover from his injury to his syndesmosis ligament during a training session, which had cost him the State of Origin match.
Cronulla’s season was thrown into disarray when the halfback was carted off the training pitch and is predicted to miss more than six weeks of NRL football. Hynes has seen specialists and might be ready for Cronulla’s last regular season match, an away trip against the Sea Eagles in NRL round 27.
In addition, supporters wondered if the Sharks could continue to play well and qualify for the playoffs following Hynes’ injury. The Sharks rely heavily on the 2022 Dally M winner, so many were left wondering after the loss if Daniel Atkinson and Braydon Trindall could fill in for him.
However, the Sharks answered back against the Wests Tigers two weeks ago, winning handily. Some have questioned whether the Sharks are better without their playmaker, but many still believe the team could struggle without him. The Sharks have an 8-5 record in 2024 with Hynes.
They are down 3-1 without him. And those three victories came in the series against the Tigers, Melbourne Storm, and Broncos. Braden Hamlin-Uele has stated that the calls are a little disrespectful to the Sharks, who are currently third after 21 rounds of play. Many people still believe the Sharks might struggle against the heavy hitters without their quarterback.
“Nicho has played a significant role in our team’s success,” Hamlin-Uele stated. “We haven’t been able to hold up that trophy, and the finals series hasn’t been great, but we wouldn’t have gotten there without Nicho.”
“Every person on our team is there to do a job, and this has allowed Daniel Atkinson to demonstrate his abilities. We all adore Nicho, but the fact that we are the Cronulla Nicho Hynes Sharks is unfair to both of us and him because he is surrounded by 16 other guys.
“We’re not just one player and the others; we’re the Cronulla Sharks.” Opinions will always be held by people. However, opinions are just people’s thoughts, so we’ll respect their freedom of speech and carry on with our business.”
This year, a lot of teams have suffered when playing without their first-choice halfbacks. Jamal Fogarty of Canberra, Adam Reynolds of Brisbane, Shaun Johnson of the Warriors, and Mitchell Moses of Parramatta have all lost a lot of games while playing without their No. 7. With both teams vying for a top four spot on the standings, the Sharks have an opportunity to silence their sceptics this week when they play the Cowboys.
Nicho Hynes endures tough run after Origin
The most vital player for Cronulla, Hynes had a difficult few weeks prior to getting hurt. After Game 1, the halfback was removed from the NSW State of Origin team and Mitchell Moses took his place. Hynes has faced criticism for his inability to seal crucial plays in the closing minutes of games. Against the Dolphins, he failed to convert a sideline possession that would have put the game in overtime.
In round 17, he then failed to convert a field goal from point blank range in a golden point loss to the Bulldogs. In round 19, the Sharks lost before defeating the Tigers with their biggest victory of the year. Round 20 was a bye for them. If the Dragons defeat the Panthers, the Sharks, who play the Cowboys this weekend, could move up to second place on the standings.
Leave a Reply