Phil ‘Buzz’ Rothfield’s highlights and lowlights: Nicho Hynes’ costly decline, Super League stunner

From a spectacular 16-pass try in the UK to a costly conversion decline in the NRL, the weekend’s rugby league action delivered drama at both ends of the earth. Buzz’s highlights and lowlights.

Phil Rothfield

@BuzzRothfield

2 min read

September 28, 2025 - 3:40PM

News Sport Network

Nicho Hynes. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

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Phil ‘Buzz’ Rothfield reveals his highlights and lowlights from the week in sport, including Nicho Hynes’ costly decline.

HIGHLIGHT I

The most spectacular match-winning St Helens’ 16-pass try on full-time against Leeds in the UK Super League semi-final, up there with the best I’ve ever seen. Please check it out on Kayo.

HIGHLIGHT II

It’s hard to believe champion Storm halfback Jahrome Hughes had played only 25 minutes of football in eight weeks from a busted shoulder and broken wrist before such a dominating performance against the Sharks on Friday night. He is such a freakish athlete.

LOWLIGHT

People want to blame Nicho Hynes for the Sharks loss to Storm but there’s been little mention of Addin Fonua-Blake being completely outmuscled by Stefano Utoikamanu to give Melbourne the midfield dominance for Jahrome Hughes to shine.

LOWLIGHT II

The AFL spent $5 million to get Snoop Dogg to the MCG for Saturday’s grand final entertainment, not that the fans loved it, according to a Herald Sun poll. The result was: Great 23 per cent Solid 20 per cent, No good 57 per cent.

Snoop Dogg’s performance was hit and miss. Picture: NewsWire/Nadir Kinani

COSTLY CALL

Punters lost millions of dollars in bets on Friday night’s Storm v Sharks grand final qualifier when Cronulla superstar Nicho Hynes declined a conversion attempt on fulltime.

The Sharks were beaten by eight points (22-14) in a game in which punters had backed Cronulla at the line with 7.5 points start.

Sharks centre KL Iro scored near the sideline on fulltime but Hynes declined the conversion kick. It was a costly call for punters, according to Ladbrokes odds spruiker Glen Munsie.

“I’d say there would have been several million dollars riding on the kick,” Munsie said.

Not that it was Nicho’s fault. Shattered at losing, the last thing he’d be thinking about is margin betting.

Nicho Hynes after the loss to Melbourne. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

SPOTTED

Is there a more passionate administrator in rugby league than Roosters chairman Nick Politis? His NRL team may have bowed out two weeks ago but the billionaire automotive tycoon still travelled to Gosford on Saturday night to cheer the Roosters’ NRLW side against the Sharks.

SPOTTED

NSW minister for sport and tourism Steve Kamper in Melbourne for the Sharks v Melbourne Storm grand final qualifier. He was with his grandkids who are mad Sharks supporters.

Dolphins CEO Terry Reader. Picture: Richard Walker

SPOTTED

It’s been a tough week for Terry Reader, the chief executive of the Dolphins, following the departure of their major front-of-jersey sponsor, Adventure Kings. Even tougher when the Perth Bears signed Budget Direct as a sleeve sponsor for $1 million a year. Bears CEO Anthony De Ceglie was able to negotiate a far more lucrative deal than Reader managed with the same company, that is also a sleeve sponsor of the Dolphins.