Hynes and Moses kickstart Magic Round in style

Two of the game’s best No.7s – Nicho Hynes and Mitchell Moses - put on a proper show to kickstart Magic Round on Friday night.

Hynes dusted himself off after three missed field-goals five days earlier that could have won the game against the Wests Tigers.

And Moses was involved in everything as the Eels fought back before getting rolled 28-18.

Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon and his Eels counterpart Jason Ryles were glowing in their appraisal of their respective chief playmakers.

Fitzgibbon said of Hynes: “I haven’t heard about him in about four or five weeks, which means he’s playing well.

“He’s been at it all year. I feel like last week there was some criticism there for not icing the game, which is all good and it’s fair and reasonable.

“He didn’t have an issue with it, and we don’t. He stepped up [against the Tigers], smashed one from 50m, was one lick of paint away from having his moment in the sun. He didn’t get it, but he stepped up time after time, the game was on the line, and he went after it.”

Hynes set up three tries, while his halves partner Braydon Trindall came up with a crucial 40/20 in the second half to set up another Sharks’ four-pointer.

The Eels were legless a month ago, but they are such a different side with Moses back from a foot injury and calling the shots.

His blistering speed was on full display midway through the second half when Parramatta cut the margin back to four points while Jesse Colquhoun was in the bin for a professional foul.

Eels playmaker Mitchell Moses was solid in his second game back from a foot injury.Credit: Getty Images

If Laurie Daley was picking his NSW side tomorrow, Moses would be the five-eighth alongside Nathan Cleary.

“The players definitely get confidence when he’s getting ready in the sheds – there’s no doubt about it,” Ryles said of Moses.

“Everyone sees the talent he’s got, but what I love is he turns up every day, he competes, he drives standards, he wants to get better every day.

“That’s what I love about him. The talent, the footy, the kicking … he’s helping me instil a culture we want to grow within our footy club.”

Moses was involved in a verbal exchange with Trindall, with Moses smiling and admitting after the game it was nothing.

“He’s a quality player, he’s been on fire for them, and the season he’s having is unbelievable,” Moses said.

Nicho Hynes on the charge for Cronulla on Friday night.Credit: Getty Images

“He’s taken that side to a new level. It was just two halves competing.”

Ryles bit his tongue over a few rulings and joked he did not have “enough runs on the board” as a head coach, nor the money to pay any fines, if he revealed what he really thought.

One was the penalty to Cronulla when Bailey Simonsson was ruled to have tried to tackle Ronnie Mulitalo as he tried to score.

The Eels were also unlucky to get pinged for a knock-on when Josh Addo-Carr threw a ball back in-field, despite it going backwards. The next set Cronulla marched down field on the back of Trindall’s 40/20.

The Eels host the Dolphins next Thursday while the Sharks enjoy a well-earned nine-day turnaround to Manly.