‘I’d rather save a life than score a try’: NRL star Nicho Hynes’ mission

Following years of mental anguish, tears and a seemingly simple childhood dream to live as a family, Nicho Hynes has emerged as a powerful force of inspiration with the launch of his own Mental Fitness Round.

Nicho Hynes is launching a Mental Fitness Round. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Not so long ago, Nicho Hynes didn’t know where to turn.

Playing park football and not even close to his dream NRL contract, the young footballer slipped into a depressive void that resembled little of his current status as one of rugby league’s most influential figures.

“It was 2017 and I was a shell of myself,” Hynes said.

“I didn’t know where I would ever be. I had no idea about life.

“I had no routine, I wasn’t eating well, I wasn’t doing good things in life, I was struggling.”

Six years after feeling lost and without hope, Hynes is on a mission to save lives.

The Cronulla Sharks star is using his own mental health battles as the driving force behind the launch of his very own Mental Fitness Round.

Hynes is the brainchild of the inaugural campaign which launches when Hynes’ Shark face St George Illawarra at PointsBet Stadium on Sunday and of which he hopes the rest of the NRL will embrace next season.

His challenging upbringing is well-documented.

Between the age of five and 12 his mother, Julie, was in and out of prison and Hynes lived with his father Mick Wilson.

Along with his older brother Wade, that was his entire family.

Following years of mental anguish, tears and a seemingly simple childhood dream to live as a family, Hynes has emerged as a powerful force of inspiration.

“I’ve been a big advocate over the last few years with my story and speaking about mental health, I’ve spoken so much about it out loud, so I need to follow through with it,” Hynes said.

“I felt like if I’m going to be someone who is an advocate for it and who speaks up, then I have to do something about it.

“There’s no better feeling than seeing a young kid or someone that messages me to tell me that I’ve changed their life.

“I don’t mean that to sound arrogant at all. But that’s better than scoring a try in any game of footy.

“Sometimes we can forget the impact we can have on people.

“Off the field is where I’d like to make a mark, it’s hard to put into words and how it makes me feel when someone tells me that I’ve been able to do that.”

Hynes is teaming up with media personality and founder of Gotcha4Life Gus Worland. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Hynes has partnered with Gotcha4Life founder Gus Worland, the motivator behind Hynes discovering his mental resolve.

“When you get someone like Nicho, who stands out and says I heard you talk about mental health back in 2017 and now look at where I’m going, he’s the perfect example for others to look for as inspiration,” Worland said.

“I’m sure he would have got there in the end, because he was strong enough to tell a friend (that he was struggling), and that started to build that village for him.

“It’s like on the footy field, he can’t win on the weekend by himself, but he’s a chance if he’s got all his teammates with him.

“It’s the same in life.

“We tend to worry alone too much, we’re told to man-up and shut-up, well it’s time to man-up and speak-up, so to have people like Nicho stand-up and be vulnerable.

“If one kid listens on the weekend and goes I might tell Dad, my teacher or my coach how I’m feeling, that might change someone’s life completely and then all this would be worth it.”

Nicho Hynes (left) with his brother Wade and father Mick when they were kids. Credit: Supplied

Shark Nicho Hynes playing against the Canterbury Bulldogs at PointsBet Stadium in March. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty

Hynes said he’s also taken to offering support to his teammates, particularly on the impact on the mind of social media.

“What I say to the young fellas about social media is just to stay neutral, don’t ride the highs to high and the lows to low,” Hynes said.

“I think that instils a strong mental health instantly.

“Everyone is guilty early in their career when you start playing good footy, you check all the social media things that are being said about you and watch the news.

“That slowly drifts away as you get older and you learn.

“There’s so many different angles and pressures coming at you as a professional rugby league player that a lot of people don’t see.

“I’ll look for when one of the player’s walks through the door, he might not have as much energy as he usually does, or he might not have a smile on his face that day.

“I think there’s a lot of boys checking in on that player, even before I get to him.

“I can see it (rugby league culture) changing. Have we arrived anywhere with it yet? No.

“There’s still plenty of distance to go to get to where we want to get too in mental fitness, but I feel like where we’re at as a rugby league culture, there’s way more conversations being had.”