Nicho Hynes expected to be fully ready for State of Origin opener after injury scare

He was sitting in the stands nursing a sore calf on Saturday night but NSW coach Michael Maguire expects his halfback to be ready for the Origin opener.

Nicho Hynes will be ready for the Origin opener. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

NSW playmaker Nicho Hynes is expected to “hit the ground running on day one” of training camp with coach Michael Maguire confident his halfback will not be troubled by the calf complaint that forced into the stands for the second half against the Panthers last weekend.

Maguire was in the stands to see Hynes and NSW halves partner Jarome Luai duke it out on Saturday, with the Cronulla playmaker putting in his worst 40 minutes of the season which may have been caused by the calf issue.

Hynes missed the win over the Storm with calf tightness but returned in Magic Round where he sealed his Blues spot with a dominant performance against the Roosters.

The Sharks have had to manage his training load in recent weeks, but Hynes is expected to be a full participant when the Blues hold their first session on Wednesday.

“I reckon he’ll hit the ground running on day one. That’s what we’re working towards,” Maguire said.

“We’re really confident with where he’s at that he’ll be able to train from day one.

Sharks star Nicho Hynes after being removed from the game on Saturday night.Photo: Tom Parrish

“I’ve got some really good staff with me, and they’re in continual communication with the Sharkies staff as well.

“He had a scan yesterday and it looked really good. There’s no further damage and I think it actually looked better. He’s got through that now, and I’ll obviously talk to my staff over the next couple of days and work out how we go about his training.

“The conversation I had with him yesterday, he was really excited that he was in the team so that was a pretty special phone call.

“He’s ready to go. I’ve spoken to a lot of players over the past couple of months and you’re faced with many different scenarios of what the team may or may not be. I’m really super confident with how Nicho’s been.

“Just listening to the conversations of what he’s had to face over his career and what he’s learnt, I’m really looking forward to how he comes into camp because he’s a leader.”

It’s a full-circle moment for Hynes who came off the bench in the series opener last year but was dropped after he missed a crucial tackle playing out of position at right centre.

The demotion rattled him, but the former Dally M winner has moved on from it to take his side to the top of the table.

Your @Westpac NSW Blues line-up for Game I 😤#ForeverBluepic.twitter.com/tyF2NYo1pH

— NSWBlues (@NSWBlues) May 26, 2024

He now gets the chance to shine in the halves with last year’s starting halfbacks Nathan Cleary and Mitchell Moses both unavailable through injury, while veteran Adam Reynolds is also sidelined.

Maguire had his heart in his mouth when Hynes didn’t return in the second half last week, but with stars like Tom Trbojevic and Bradman Best also going down, he’s had to accept it’s a part of the coaching rollercoaster this time of year.

“I’ve just learnt to take it how it comes in this role,” he said.

“Plenty of people have told me that you decide your team at 5pm yesterday, and that’s exactly what I did.

“Because I’d spoken to so many players in the wider squad, we actually sat in this room and spoke about what happens in the Origin arena could be anyone at any time.

“We’ve seen that over the years on many occasions when somebody has come in and performed and become one of the all-time great players in the Blues jersey.”

Luke Keary is expected to come in should Hynes be ruled out, with the Roosters five-eighth playing under Maguire when the Rabbitohs won the 2014 title.