'I wasn't ready': Hynes opens up on Origin nightmare
Cronulla playmaker Nicho Hynes said he let the pressure get to him after his ill-fated State of Origin debut last year, with his poor showing leaving the halfback mentally scarred.
The 2022 Dally M Medal winner was made out to be the sacrificial lamb and copped a bunch of criticism from fans and media, when he was exposed in defence by Cameron Munster, who brushed him aside to set up a Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow try.
Hynes came on with about 12 minutes left in the opener and played out of position at centre for that pivotal play, yet that did not come into calculations for ex-NSW coach Brad Fittler, who did not pick the Sharks star for the rest of the series.
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Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow of Queensland celebrates after scoring the match-winning try in Game 1 2023.
The moment seeped into the halfback’s NRL season as well, with his form heavily impacted by the setback in the weeks following the interstate series.
“After what happened with Origin last year, I wasn’t ready to put on another rep jersey for a while,” Hynes told Triple M this week.
“That’s how much it impacted me. Then again, the flip side, that made me learn so many lessons about me and have a harsh look at myself.”
Hynes admitted after his debut, “the pressure probably got to me”, however, he was able to regain his form and make the Australian team at the end of the year, and once there, he maximised his confidence through the elite talent around him.
“I think that set me up to go and be in that Aussie squad, do that same bench role, do the same thing and I just went into that so confident.
A dejected Nicholas Hynes after defeat in game one of the 2023 State of Origin series.
“I went into the Prime Ministers (XI camp) and had a great week with Daly Cherry-Evans and he just made me feel 10-foot tall again and just gave me so much confidence in myself as a rugby league player and as a person.
“And once (Nathan) Cleary got ruled out and they called me in, I just felt so at home. I’d never felt more comfortable in a rep arena in my life and that was all because of those boys around me, backing me to be in that team and to play to my strengths. There’s probably no better feeling I’ve had in a long time.”
The forgettable Origin moment has not impacted Hynes’ play this year, with the Sharks in first spot and the No.7 currently topping the Dally M Medal count again.
He’s also considered to be one of the front-runners to partner Cleary in the halves for the Blues in this year’s Origin series, headed by new coach Michael Maguire.
Hynes will battle it out with Panthers star Jarome Luai and Blues incumbent Cody Walker for the job, with his club coach convinced he can right the past wrongs in the Origin arena.
“He’s got a nice balance to his game at the moment,” coach Craig Fitzgibbon said.
“He’s obviously got the talent and skill. But his defensive form is as good as I’ve seen so he wouldn’t be out of place (in Origin).”