Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks: Who partners Nicho Hynes and in what number?

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks

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We’re officially into NRL2022 territory and starting to look a little bit closer at how the upcoming season might play out.

I’ve put some notes down in the Preseason Live Blog & Notepad which included a look into how the Dragons spine might look, where Joseph Suaalii might play, how Nick Cotric’s return impacts my guy Matt Timoko, and who will wear the Rabbitohs #7 jersey. I also got ahead of myself and published The Dolphins Hub where I’ll adding any Dolphins related content as they construct their roster for the 2023 NRL season.

Today, Oscar dusted off the keyboard and considered where the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks might play Nicho Hynes and with who.

Enjoy this one and send through any other questions you might like us to dig into through our socials or by replying to this email.

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Jason


The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks have a promising selection headache in the halves heading into the 2022 NRL season and Nicho Hynes is at the centre of it.

The Cronulla Sharks have recruited excellently this off-season with big-name signings Nicho Hynes, Cameron McInnes and Dale Finucane joining the club. Hynes has been billed as their star playmaker but where he lines up – and who fills the positions around him – leaves incoming coach Craig Fitzgibbon with a few (good) selection headaches as the 2022 season approaches. 

It all comes down to where Cronulla play their new marquee man. 

Although we haven’t seen much of it at NRL level, the Sharks (and Hynes himself) have been quite vocal about his ability to play in the halves and only an injury to Will Kennedy would see Hynes line up anywhere else in 2022. So with two positions left to choose from (and the rest of the squad to fit in around him), let’s take a look at the halves options for the Sharks in ‘22.

How does it look with Hynes at halfback?

The biggest issue with Hynes at halfback is that it’s a great unknown. His qualities as a first-receiver aren’t proven in first-grade and it’s a big leap in responsibility regardless of the calibre of player. That being said, in the modern game we’re seeing more than just halfbacks effectively fill that first-receiver role. Tom Trbojevic is hardly halfback material but he spent plenty of time at first receiver in 2021 and I’m not going to argue with his involvements from last season. 

With Hynes at halfback, his promotion to Cronulla’s primary playmaker will be made all the more clear.

“I want to try and be a leader of this team, I want to be a main player in this team – controlling the game was something I was good at when I was a bit younger so hopefully I can get back to that again.”

Nicho Hynes, QRL.com

It makes sense for your main playmaker to have the #7 on his back. From halfback Hynes can get his hands on the ball three or more times per set and have an active role in steering Cronulla across the park. We know he has superb vision and a deadly running game  – we’ve all seen the highlight reels – but it was Hynes’ passing game that impressed most at RLW in 2021 and suggests he does have a future as a ballplayer.

Jase picked apart Hynes’ Round 10 demolition of St George last year, in particular Hynes’ ability to engage the line before passing to create space for his teammates in attack.

Nicho Hynes

It’s only Hynes’ willingness to cop a shot from Ben Hunt here that creates the space for Justin Olam to barge over out wide. You could argue this is more of a fullback’s involvement but from first-receiver Hynes’ own size and speed forces the defense to consider him which inevitably leaves space elsewhere in the line. It’s a repeatable halfback action that Hynes can use to tip forwards into promising involvements around the ruck or pass hard-running outside backs into space out wider. 

Hynes’ kicking game is another facet we haven’t seen much of at NRL-level but the small samples we have are nice. 

Nicho Hynes

He’s got the vision to see George Jennings is in an acre of space on the wing and he drops the ball on a dime for his winger to race upfield. What’s most appealing about this action however is the way Hynes reloads on the next play and almost creates something from nothing down the short side. This has shades of Daly Cherry-Evans in the way that Hynes is eager to play on the ball and what’s in front of him and I’m expecting more of the same from him next year, whether at halfback or five-eighth. He looks equally comfortable challenging a retreating defensive line himself as he does orchestrating shape or passing teammates into space and it’s a skill set that lends itself to an ‘on-the-ball’ type half. 

The other benefit of putting the #7 on Hynes’ back is that Fitzgibbon has a few genuine options to partner him at five-eighth. 

Matt Moylan is easily the most experienced candidate and is the clear pick based on his form to finish the 2021 season. Whether or not injuries and form permit him an extended run in 2022 remains to be seen, but Moylan showed he’s still got plenty to offer at NRL level. Aside from Moylan, Braydon Trindall, Connor Tracey, Luke Metcalf or even Rugby Sevens’ convert Lachlan Miller are all likable options at five-eighth with Hynes as the main man at halfback. 

What about Hynes at five-eighth?

This decision on its own is a no-brainer. 

Every offseason a top-tier fullback is rumoured or suggested to shift into the #6 jersey given the transferable skills between both positions. From five-eighth, Hynes would play down one side of the field and park himself a little wider of the ruck – in similar channels to where he popped up for the Storm in 2021. 

This action against the Broncos in Round 12 was Hynes’ 2021 season in a nutshell.

Nicho Hynes

Taking possession out the back of shape, holding the ball out in front, punishing poor movements in the defensive line and summing up the numbers with a crisp draw and pass to a support player for yet another Melbourne Storm try. It’s undoubtedly where Hynes was most dangerous in 2021, and at five-eighth, he could fill a similar role for the Sharks in ‘22. 

The problem with Fitzgibbon picking Hynes at five-eighth is that it leaves Braydon Trindall as Cronulla’s only genuine option at halfback. 

Regular readers will know I’m a big Trindall guy and so I’m a little biased towards this option. He’s got all the skills to be a killer attacking half and I think he will do a job in time, but his efforts off the ball must improve if he’s to impress incoming coach Fitzgibbon – a renowned defensive specialist. 

Aside from Trindall, Cronulla’s halfback stocks are limited. 

Moylan has not played with the #7 on his back once in his 147 game career while Tracey – as versatile as he is – doesn’t have the runs on the board as an organising half either. And if you were ‘iffy’ about Metcalf or Miller playing regular first-grade at five-eighth earlier then the halfback question answers itself. 

RELATED: Assessing the early move for Luke Metcalf

Adding both Finucane and McInnes to this squad does somewhat offset Cronulla’s relative inexperience in the playmaking department. Both can string a pass together through the middle-third and McInnes, in particular, looks like filling that ball-playing lock role and spending plenty of time at first-receiver in 2022, while young dummy-half Blayke Brailey continues to develop as organising dummy-half. 

This is a much more versatile and arguably more skilful roster than the Sharks have had for some time now and it all points towards a team-effort approach to their attack in 2022 more so than any one individual pointing the team across the park. 

The verdict?

Hynes has a little bit of Canterbury’s Matt Burton about him this year. 

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