The Sharks will reportedly move star playmaker Nicho Hynes into a different position next season amid the emergence of Braydon Trindall.
Trindall has taken the reigns of this team during Hynes’ injury absence and even when he returned for Cronulla’s finals series, putting together a man-of-the-match performance in the Sharks’ win over the Cowboys.
Currently on $300,000, Trindall will fetch over double that with his next contract. The playmaker is keen to stay at the Sharks, but he’s also willing to test his value when free agency hits on November 1.
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Hynes was solid against the Cowboys, but it was definitely the Trindall show.
Hynes responded to those critics who suggested in the aftermath of Cronulla’s win that he needed to play more of his hand.
“The boys were going really well and playing great footy and I shouldn’t come back in and try to demand everything and run the team and interrupt how we were playing,” he said at a Sharks media opportunity on Monday.
Fox Sports’ Paul Crawley wasn’t having it though and challenged Hynes to retake control of the team given his reputation and hefty pay packet.
“The guy that really has to lift his game is Nicho Hynes. He spoke about how when he came back he was happy to step back and let Trindall take the reigns,” Crawley said on NRL360.
“I’ll use this analogy. When (Nathan) Cleary came back and Jarome Luai was killing it in Cleary’s absence, did Nathan take a back seat and let Jarome take the reigns or did he step up and help take that team to the next level which is what he did.
“In his first game back against the Dolphins, he led them to that golden point victory and then week after week went to another level. That’s where Nicho has to be.
“It’s no point saying football doesn’t define you. Football pays the bills.”
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The Daily Telegraph’s Dave Riccio defended Hynes, while revealing the Sharks are looking to switch Hynes to either fullback or five-eighth. Hynes has been named halfback for this weekend’s preliminary against Penrith.
“There’s no doubt, and Matthew Johns declared it the other day, that Nicho Hynes should move to a one or six position. It’s happening. It’s happening,” Riccio said.
“And it’s happening because Braydon Trindall is a halfback. Always has been. Under 20s, won the NSW Cup with Newtown at halfback.
“He won the Dally M Nicho Hynes because he played with a five-eighth in Matt Moylan. You can count on your hand how many times he kicked the ball Matt Moylan. He (Hynes) had to play halfback in that Dally M year.
“With Braydon Trindall, Nicho’s best position is six.”
League legend Gorden Tallis said Trindall’s emergence shone the spotlight on the Sharks’ decision to sign Hynes on a $7 million deal.
“That means that they overpaid for him then,” he said.
“If he’s going to play the second fiddle and you have to get a good halfback then you’ve overpaid for him
“You need a million dollar halfback.”
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