Sharks’ Hynes Dismisses Pressure on Halves Pairing Ahead of Crucial Season
Nicho Hynes, the Cronulla Sharks’ star playmaker, has firmly rejected any notion that he and his halves partner, Braydon Trindall, will face unprecedented pressure as they gear up for the 2026 NRL season. The duo is tasked with spearheading the Sharks’ ambition to finally clinch a premiership.
The upcoming season is widely regarded as a pivotal moment for the current Cronulla squad. A significant number of players, precisely 15, are nearing the end of their contracts. This comes after an impressive run of four consecutive top-eight finishes and two successive preliminary final appearances. The uncertainty surrounding player futures, with Siosifa Talakai and Toby Rudolf having already acknowledged the possibility of their departure, and co-captain Cameron McInnes also off contract, adds another layer to the club’s critical juncture.
Under the guidance of coach Craig Fitzgibbon, the Sharks have demonstrably improved year on year. His four seasons at the helm appear to have meticulously built towards this very moment, a culmination of strategic development and player growth. Despite this consistent upward trajectory, Hynes has previously voiced his opinion that the Sharks have been unfairly overlooked and disrespected by critics, even as they’ve cemented their status as one of the NRL’s most consistent performers.
Speaking on Monday, Hynes addressed the persistent commentary surrounding his halves partnership with Trindall. He acknowledged hearing claims that they would enter the current year under the most intense scrutiny of any halves pairing in the competition.
“People want to say we’re the most under-pressure pairing, but I don’t know how that’s so,” Hynes stated. He elaborated on his perspective by highlighting the achievements of other halves combinations in the league. “There are a lot of halves partners out there who haven’t made a prelim in their career or haven’t been to one in a long time,” he pointed out.
Hynes further emphasised the rarity of recent premiership-winning halves pairings. “There have only been two halves pairings who have won a comp in the last five years and that’s the Panthers or the Broncos,” he observed. “So realistically we’re doing a pretty good job, and now it’s just about taking it to the next level.”
A testament to Fitzgibbon’s enduring influence, 15 players from the Sharks’ squad remain from his inaugural year in charge in 2022. This was the same year Hynes claimed the prestigious Dally M Medal in his debut season with the club. This core group continued their finals campaign, reaching the first week of the finals again in 2023. However, their aspirations have been dashed in the preliminary final for the past two seasons, falling to Penrith and Melbourne respectively.
Reflecting on the Sharks’ 2022 campaign, Hynes described it as a period of expansive, highlight-reel football. “The Cronulla of 2022, I feel like we played a lot of footy and had a lot of highlight reels,” he recalled. “But we probably didn’t know how to – and this is me as well – play a long game.” He admitted his own transition from fullback to halfback was a learning curve, driven by a desire to simply enjoy and play football.
“I was just coming from a fullback role into playing halfback for the first time in my career and I still wanted to go out there and just have fun and play footy,” Hynes explained. “I thought I did that well and the team did that well, it’s just when it comes to crunch time we might not have been able to game manage as much.”
However, Hynes expressed a newfound maturity and understanding within the squad. “I feel like 2022 to 2026 now, we know how to play a long game, we know how to grind out a game, we know how to win in all different ways,” he declared, signalling a significant evolution in their playing style and mental fortitude.
The Sharks also made a significant announcement at their season launch on Monday, revealing that hooker Blayke Brailey will be joining Cameron McInnes as a co-captain for the upcoming season, adding further leadership to the squad.
In positive injury news, the club is optimistic that winger Sione Katoa has avoided a serious groin injury. Katoa was forced from the field early during Saturday’s trial match victory against the Canberra Raiders, but scans have indicated a less severe outcome than initially feared.
