Physical Address
Suite 5, 181 High Street,
Willoughby North NSW 2068
‘Happiest I’ve been’ Hynes’ 2025 mindset | 10:10
Nicho Hynes is in a “great space” and has put “last year behind him”.
Watch every game of the 2025 NRL Pre-Season Challenge Live & Exclusive on FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.
That’s the message from coach Craig Fitzgibbon ahead of Hynes’ first hit-out of the year when the Sharks kick-off week two of the Pre-Season Challenge in Canberra.
After the way last season finished for Hynes, there is no doubt the Sharks star now goes into this season as arguably the player under the most pressure counting down to Las Vegas.
At an age where playmakers predominantly come into their best footballing years, it seems everyone in the game has questions about whether the now 28-year-old is capable of fighting back.
Will we ever see a return of the man who won the Dally M Medal in 2022?
Or will 2025 be more of the same from a player who finished last season so down on confidence many thought it could end up destroying his career?
Inside Nicho Hynes’ remarkable reboot and the off-season job that changed everything
Brandy’s bold finals prediction as another Blues great makes unthinkable call: NRL 2025 launch
Sharks’ rivals swoop in late to secure cult hero amid three-team bidding war: Transfer Whispers
‘READY TO GO’
It’s no secret Hynes had a tortuous 2024.
One minute he was good enough to get the call-up for Michael Maguire for State of Origin I.
But on the back of a 38-10 thumping, he was dropped to make way for Mitchell Moses.
To make matters worse, when he returned the Sharks lost their next three games.
On the back of that, Hynes broke his ankle that sidelined him for about two months.
Then when he returned it was evident to everyone that he’d basically handed over the chief playmaking duties to Braydon Trindall.
That created a lot of debate about whether Daniel Atkinson would be a better halves partner for Trindall moving forward given Atkinson is on a fraction of Hynes’ $1 million-a-season salary.
Understandably, Fitzy was a little reluctant to make this too personal about Nicho.
But in saying that, he certainly didn’t back away from the scrutiny that he knows is coming.
“He is in a great space and ready to go, last year is behind him,” Fitzgibbon said.
“He is going great. He had a really good pre-season.
“He couldn’t do much training at the backend of last year (after breaking his ankle and suffering a syndesmosis injury that sidelined him for two months).
“But he did a lot of extra training over the break.”
A TRICKY SITUATION
A lot of experts think the addition of rampaging prop Addin Fonua-Blake can take the Sharks to the next level this season.
But that’s providing the halves aim up.
“I think there was a number of things (that affected Hynes’ form),” Fitzgibbon continued.
“Obviously the Origin knocked him around.
“He had a couple of close losses for the Sharks that knocked him around.
“And he broke his ankle.
“By the time he came back I thought he supported Tricky (well).
“Tricky was back in and playing pretty strongly with ‘Ako’ at that stage.
“But I thought he came back in and just tried to complement that.
“They (Trindall and Hynes) are still working on their own combination.
“Tricky had a shoulder reconstruction (during the pre-season) so he came into trainer later.
“We are just trying to get them as much time together as we can and Nicho is looking good and so is Tricky.”
Asked if he thought Trindall was ready to take his game to the next level after his breakout finish to 2024, he added: “I think they both need to together.
“You have a seven and six combination. They need to spend time together and play together.
“They haven’t had a great deal (of games together).
“They got up and running really well to start last year and then Tricky was out for a while.
“Then when he came back in Nicho was out for a while. Then they both had some time together at the end of the year.
“We are excited to see what they can do but they are still forming a combination and that will take some time.”
AFB READY TO RUMBLE
Fitzgibbon said Fonua-Blake had already made an impact: “He has been great.
“He has had his head down and bum up. He wanted to earn the respect of his teammates first by what he does, not what he says.
“But he has got a leadership presence about him.
“He speaks at the right time. He has a good delivery on when to speak and what to say.
“But he is definitely in work mode that he wants to earn the respect and trust of his teammates and that is what he has been about so far.”
