Phil Rothfield: Cronulla’s recruitment blunder of letting Luke Metcalf go has come back to haunt them
Three years ago, the Sharks let go of young half Luke Metcalf to give Nicho Hynes the biggest contract in the club’s history. Their form has put this crucial decision under the spotlight, writes BUZZ ROTHFIELD.
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The Cronulla Sharks made a recruitment blunder three years ago that has come back to haunt them.
Nicho Hynes had just won the Dally M Medal by a record margin.
The club reacted by signing him to a $7 million deal until the end of 2029, the richest contract for any player in the club’s history.
At the same time they had a local junior, former NSW under-18s halfback and rising star Luke Metcalf, on around $200k per season.
He only wanted another $50,000 to knock back the New Zealand Warriors and stay in the Shire.
Money was tight, so the club chose to cut him loose.
Fast forward to Shark Park on Saturday night.
Metcalf produces another blinder, Hynes has a quiet game and the Warriors flog the Sharks 40-10.
Ouch. To make it worse, another Cronulla junior, Sam Healey also stood out with an outstanding game for the Warriors.
The Sharks have now conceded 82 points in their past two games.
This was against a Roosters side without their five State of Origin players and a Warriors side without front-row enforcer Mitch Barnett and hooker Wayde Egan.
This time of the year should be a favourable period for the Sharks.
While some clubs are giving up four or five State of Origin players, the Sharks don’t have one.
They’ve also had a fair run with injuries.
This is where it comes back to their $1 million halfback.
Against the Warriors the Sharks had more possession, more territory and won the set restarts 6-1.
It was set up for the halves.
Yet at his press conference coach Craig Fitzgibbon blamed a lack of physicality.
Nothing about the lack of creativity from his two halves – Hynes and Braydon Trindall.
Trindall’s game is nowhere near his level from last year.
With Nicho back, Trindall is no longer running the football side like he did so competently for long periods last year.
Some might suggest it would be a bit harsh to lay all the blame on Nicho.
He’s not playing terribly but with a $1 million pay packet comes expectations around game management and overall performance.
That if you dominate possession and field position, the big-money playmaker will deliver results.
If he was $500,000, no one would care.
It’s the salary that attracts the spotlight.
The Sharks are hardly the first club to make a recruitment mistake.
If Souths had their time over again they’d no doubt have kept Adam Reynolds.
Surely the Gold Coast Titans would not have allowed Jamal Fogarty to leave for the national capital.
The Wests Tigers could have kept Ryan Papenhuyzen.
The Roosters could still have had Jacob Preston.
And the same with St George Illawarra and Reece Robson, who left for the Cowboys.
It’s just that Cronulla’s blunder was so painful for fans on Saturday night.
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Originally published as Phil Rothfield: Cronulla’s recruitment blunder of letting Luke Metcalf go has come back to haunt them
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