‘He’s a big boy’: Nicho Hynes eyes revenge in battle of the halfbacks, Sharks skipper used Origin camp to prepare for Vegas experiment

The Sharks have a secret weapon for their Vegas date with Penrith, and it has nothing to do with Nicho Hynes, who is out to end his horror record against the premiers.

All eyes are usually on the quarterback for games at Allegiant Stadium, but Sharks skipper Cameron McInnes says “there’s no extra pressure” on Nicho Hynes next week in what shapes as a mouth-watering showdown between him and Nathan Cleary in Las Vegas.

The clash will be a rematch of last year’s preliminary final, which was tight for an hour before the Panthers kicked clear on their way to a fourth title in a row. It also continued Cleary’s dominance over Hynes, who hasn’t beaten him in a Sharks jersey.

The former Dally M Medal winner is coming off a strong showing against Canberra in a trial game last week, and McInnes is hoping for more of the same in America.

Nicho Hynes has a poor record against the Panthers, but his skipper is backing him to perform well in Las Vegas. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

“I thought he was outstanding the other night and controlled the game really well, and that’ll be his job (next week),” he said a couple of hours before his flight at Sydney Airport.

“There’s no extra pressure on him from within our team, other than what he puts on himself.

“He’ll be right. He’s a big boy. He’s gone through things that no one else has had to, and that’s only made him stronger.”

The Vegas concept is still in its infancy, with teams trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t over there.

The Sharks will spend some time training at the University of Southern California before they head to Vegas, and McInnes revealed he’d spoken to plenty of people who were involved last year about what to expect in a foreign environment.

Cameron McInnes has spoken to players from the four teams who played in Las Vegas last year to work out what worked well. Picture: Thomas Lisson

“In the Origin space last year, I had the opportunity to actually talk to guys from all four teams that went,” he said.

“Roosters and Manly had the best time there, and that’s because they won.”

McInnes and the coaches have stressed the No.1 priority is returning to Sydney with the two competition points, but it doesn’t mean players will be forced to miss out on sporting events or the bright lights that most young men get to enjoy.

“It’s important that you enjoy the experience because when you try to put your head in the sand and try to keep everyone in the hotel, it defeats the purpose of going,” the tireless lock said.

“You need to get that balance. You need to enjoy it, immerse yourself in it, but also understand that the only reason we get to have that opportunity is to play the game. When we play, we play to win.

“With a group of young men, there are always going to be conversations that you need to have. But with the evolution of this team, less of those conversations need to be had.”

Originally published as ‘He’s a big boy’: Nicho Hynes eyes revenge in battle of the halfbacks, Sharks skipper used Origin camp to prepare for Vegas experiment