Before the Storm match, the Cronulla Sharks coach addresses the derogatory remarks made against Nicho Hynes.
In light of his warning that the Sharks are ready for a deep run in the NRL finals ahead of their match against the Storm on Saturday, Craig Fitzgibbon has refuted suggestions that star halfback Nicho Hynes underperforms in pivotal moments. The Sharks have finished the NRL season with five victories in their last six games, demonstrating their recent success. In the game’s penultimate play, they suffered their lone defeat in the previous six games, against the Warriors.
In the opening round of the NRL finals, the Sharks, one of the top teams going into the championship, will take against the Storm, minor premiers. Fitzgibbon, the coach, has also commended his players for hitting their stride at the ideal moment in the season.
Before the match against Melbourne, Fitzgibbon remarked, “The last two years we’ve probably almost limped into the finals, players in, players out.” “This year we’ve got a bit of energy about us and we feel like we’ve surged through the back end of the year with energy.”
Fitzgibbon is also aware that Hynes will be closely watched as he embarks on another NRL finals campaign, with doubts surrounding his capacity to perform under pressure. Hynes was chosen for this year’s State of Origin event 1, however following a lackluster showing in the largest venue for the event, he was benched for the rest of the series.
He has also been questioned several times for the Sharks’ inability to perform when the game was close. Nevertheless, Hynes made a successful comeback from injury a few weeks ago, and he appears rejuvenated as the halfback had one of his greatest performances of the year in the Sharks’ crushing of Manly last week.
Fitzgibbon also thinks Hynes is a crucial member of the team as they try to dispel skepticism about their championship pedigree. The Sharks coach stated of Hynes, “He hasn’t had that many (big games) so he might not have yet, but that’s not to say he can’t in the future.”
“We’ll find out because he has also won us a lot of games that seem to be forgotten.
“What Nicho has done very well is return to the squad and work for us, and I believe our team has grown a little bit since his comeback. We’ll witness the best version of him if he gets up, starts running, and gains confidence while our team performs well. However, regardless of how well Nicho plays, we must play as a team. We are up against the Melbourne Storm down here, so we must put up a collective effort.”
Showdown between Jahrome Hughes and Nicho Hynes
A select few teams have triumphed over the Storm in 2024, including the Sharks. The Sharks won their first game in Melbourne since 2018 in round 10, winning 25–18 at AAMI Park. Hynes was not present for that match, but the NRL finals matchup sets up a thrilling match between Jahrome Hughes, the favorite of Dally M, and the Sharks’ No. 7.
