‘Cost them the game’: NRL world unloads as Nicho Hynes misses ‘absolute sitter’

When you’re out of form, playing in the NRL can be a harsh place to be as Sharks halfback Nicho Hynes is learning first-hand.

When it rains, it pours — and right now it’s pouring on Nicho Hynes.

The Cronulla Sharks halfback has been hammered once again after he missed a field goal from less than 20m out directly in front in golden point.

He then had to watch in horror as Matt Burton’s third field goal attempt from just under 40m out hit the post and went in to snatch a 15-14 golden point victory for Bulldogs.

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Hynes slumped to the turf in the defeat as fans piled on.

Hynes had a relatively quiet match by his standards, running 13 times for 85, but not setting up any tries or line breaks.

And with the game on the line, although he had the Bulldogs’ Reed Mahoney running up, Hynes shanked it to the left, giving Canterbury a decisive seven tackle set.

On Fox League, Greg Alexander said the run before the attempt from Siosifa Talakai “was too good” as he ran to 4m out.

He added it “wasn’t a crisp pass” from hooker Blayke Brailey, which “put Hynes under pressure immediately”.

He shanked that hard. Photo: Fox Sports

It’s the second straight game that Hynes hasn’t been able to get the Sharks over the line with his boot, having missed a sideline conversion against the Dolphins in round 15 when he missed a sideline conversion which would have sent the match to golden point.

Having had a bye last week, the narrative has been chasing Hynes after he was dropped from the NSW Blues State of Origin side after criticism of his performance from Game 1.

It also ignores that Hynes was 45 from 49 in his goalkicking up to the end of round 15 — although he was only able to kick one from three against the Bulldogs.

Before the match, Hynes told Fox League: “I missed a goal, I’m not really bothered by it. You move on, you learn your lessons and you move forward.”

Eighty minutes later, Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon said the missed field goal “would sting” Hynes.

“Hes got to dust himself off pretty quick and look forward to the next moment,” Fitzgibbon added.

He also said Hynes: “It’ll sting, of course it’ll sting. But I feel like he’s going to keep going after the moment, he didn’t shy away from it, he just has to ice it. But he just has to go through it.”

Captain Cameron McInnes said he told Hynes that “he’s our man.”

But fans were ruthless online.

Several fans said it was “why Nicho Hynes wasn’t selected for Origin 2”.

Others asked if he was “the least clutch player of all time”, while others called it a choke.

That’ll hurt Nicho. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Speaking after the match, Fox League’s Cooper Cronk said: “Nicho Hynes will have to pull himself up off the canvas again. He missed an absolute sitter there that ultimately cost them the game.”

James Graham said he felt for Hynes.

“You do have to feel for Nicho,” he said. “Really, you should be nailed that.

“A couple of missed conversions too, granted they were difficult but if he lands one of them, they’re not in this position.”

While it would hurt Hynes, Cronk said he’d been in that position many times before.

“I’ve been in this position, I’ve missed more than I’ve kicked in my time,” Cronk said.

“Every time you miss one, the harder it is to kick the next one. He just has to get back to work, get back to grinding.

“He needs to kick the ball 100 times in this situation to get another chance.

“We spoke about mental resilience he’d need to bounce back, but that’s going to take a bit of work for Nicho to get over that one.”

Cronk added he had no doubt that Hynes would win the Sharks a game soon and put this run behind him.

Graham said: “Nicho Hynes isn’t going to be remembered for a field goal he missed in round 17 of 2024 but at the moment, he feels like he owes his team.”

Later, he added: “Of course it stings, because people like Nicho care.”

While it was a tough beat for the Sharks, the side is still in the top three, currently two wins ahead although with games to play this weekend.

The Bulldogs win however lifts them to fifth on the ladder and has fans dreaming of an end to their finals drought, having last made the playoffs in 2016.