‘Perverse’ State of Origin decision behind Nicho Hynes’ downward spiral

Nicho Hynes and the Cronulla Sharks are facing being knocked out of finals calculations - and it can all be traced back to one decision in May.

Nicho Hynes struggles can be traced back to one decision. Pic: Getty

COMMENT

Nico Hynes’ Origin sacking has left Cronulla’s season in a squib damper than his squelchy curls.

In fact, Brad Fittler’s perverse decision to punt the halfback has impacted him to such a degree, he should’ve at least given him the chance beforehand to check if he was born in Queensland.

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Make no mistake, if Hynes was found to be born in Kempsey, and as such, eligible to be a Maroon, he’d be treated with more care and the Sharks wouldn’t be in this predicament - even if it meant staring at Alfie in his Y-fronts for the rest of his life.

After unholy towellings to Manly and Penrith and a horrendous run home including Souths, North Queensland, Canberra and a resurgent Knights, you can officially expunge the Sharks from premiership calculations- and trace it all back to that fateful night in Adelaide.

In a town noteworthy for its red wines and serial killings, it was the evening Hynes’ career was left to rot on the Adelaide streets inside a barrel of maroon-soaked acid.

The 27-year old’s Origin debut was supposed to be a dream fulfilled, but after Fittler locked him on an edge with 12 minutes to conjure a Houdini escape, his story has gone the way of so many other single-use heroes before him.

Nicho Hynes hasn’t been the same since his Origin debut. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

Yep, Hynes isn’t the first bloke to be gas-lit in to a confidence crisis by the NSW setup.

Frankly, it happens a lot - and not just to the players. Personally, I haven’t showered since the series finished, which may be acceptable up north if you’re Jai Arrow in a cane toad hat, but not down here in Sydney where we have jobs and stuff.

Nobody knows what happens to the players’ minds inside those four walls at NSW camp, all we know is it’s more psychologically torturous than a night in Damascus or Summer Bay.

Whether mixed messaging, positional changes or just a Brandy Alexander interview, many players emerge with nothing but a new grasp on Latin.

While some clap back at the adversity, others simply pull down their Westpac cap in frustration and watch their self-worth dissipate.

Cody Walker suffered a huge dent to his confidence after being dropped, Kotoni Staggs went underground after his solitary cap last year, and the only place you’ll find Stefano Utoikamanu and Tevita Pangai Jr now is on the side of a milk carton.

Blues coach Brad Fittler dropped Hynes after one game. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

It goes to show, anyone who thinks Fittler’s impact as NSW coach ends at the final whistle of Origin needs to know: it’s almost spring and he’s still out here breaking hearts with brain farts.

It’s all caused Cronulla’s season to go dog-eared and resurface allegations their top four charge last year was a sham built on a soft draw, a narrative that flowered when Fitzgibbon’s men struggled in the final series because it involved teams from the top eight.

Such is the man, Hynes is already trying to put some lead back in the pencil by offering to cover fullback for the injured Will Kennedy, but like they say, you should never weaken one position to weaken another.

This is no disrespect to Hynes whose sparkling talent will see him invariably bounce back, but when you’re getting peppered by multiple blows at silly point, you don’t ask to be moved to short-leg.

Dane Eldridge is a warped cynic yearning for the glory days of rugby league, a time when the sponges were magic and the Mondays were mad.

He’s never strapped on a boot in his life, and as such, should be taken with a grain of salt.

Originally published as ‘Perverse’ State of Origin decision behind Nicho Hynes’ downward spiral