Halves and hookers: Sharks attitude a winner but Hynes required for finals push

When the Cronulla Sharks lost Nicho Hynes to injury between Round 18 and 19, it seemed the club would have a battle on its hands to simply qualify for the finals.

At that stage, they only had ten victories, and would need at least two, and maybe even three, more wins to qualify for the top eight.

It wasn't a stretch to say that was going to be beyond them without the star halfback, who had already missed some games this season with injury. Given the Sharks reliance on Hynes though, there was little doubt they were going to need to find a way to be built different through the final weeks of the campaign while they waited for Hynes' return from the sideline.

Granted, Hynes' form simply wasn't the same after his ill-fated State of Origin appearance in the opening game of this year's series.

Playing the majority of that game in Sydney against the Queensland Maroons with 12 men, it was just a continuation of what has been a horror Origin career to date for Hynes, a lot of it through no fault of his own.

Similar circumstances played out last year when he was named on the bench for Brad Fittler's side, played about ten minutes at centre, and never looked the same again as the second half of the season turned into a challenge.

This time, Hynes, at halfback, looked at times like a dear in the headlights, causing the pile on of questions over his big-game ability, and whether he could really be the number seven to take the Sharks the extra step.

As he prepares for a return in the coming weeks, one thing he doesn't have to worry about is playing finals football again this season, something he has done without success thus far at the club after moving from the Melbourne Storm early on in his career.

That's down to the performance of a number of his unheralded teammates, who have ensured the men in black, white and blue have managed to pick up four wins from five games since he was injured.

In fact, given the club had lost three games on the trot (to the Dolphins, Canterbury Bulldogs and Gold Coast Titans) prior to his injury, you could almost paint a storyline where Hynes was part of the issue, and not the solution at Cronulla.

The only issue with that is the quality of the teams they have beaten. The likely wooden spooners, the Wests Tigers, were first to be brushed by the wayside in a 58 points to 6 beatdown.

After a bye, the Sharks went to Townsville and came up short against the North Queensland Cowboys, then it has been wins over the South Sydney Rabbitohs (20 points to 6) and the Gold Coast Titans 44 to nothing.
The big factor in the games against the Tigers and Titans was the scores - 58 and 44 shows the Sharks can run up points without Hynes, but again, neither of those teams are finals level opposition.

This weekend, they clash with the St George Illawarra Dragons at a packed WIN Stadium in what will be their toughest challenge during this stint without Hynes yet.

Blayke Brailey and Daniel Atkinson may be one of the most unlikely halves pairings of all time, but their form in recent weeks has spoken to some of the attitude coach Craig Fitzgibbon is attempting to push in the Shire - the next man up will be ready at all times.

If you look at the most successful clubs in the competition, it's an attitude they all employ. Craig Bellamy has done it for years at the Storm, and Ivan Cleary too at the Panthers. Both of those teams have had untold injury carnage throughout the course of the 2024 season, and yet, they comfortably sit number one and two on the ladder.

What the Sharks did early in the season with Hynes at his best was begin to push themselves into the premiership conversation on the back of a staggering start to the season.

A surprise win in Auckland during Roud 1 was followed up by Cronulla winning nine of their first ten games. The only loss was to the Tigers, with wins over the Sydney Roosters during Magic Round and against the Storm (without Hynes) the week before the highlights.

Their attack during those opening three months was strong too. 38 points against the Roosters, 40 against the Canberra Raiders, 42 against the North Queensland Cowboys, 34 against the South Sydney Rabbitohs, and another 36 in Round 4 against the Raiders. It was a run of games where everything was clicking for the Sharks.

When Hynes is at his best, there is little doubt the Sharks are a footy team who are built different. Even if the common conception is that there is daylight between the Storm, Panthers and the rest, this is a side who can challenge during the month of September.

Whether their star halfback can be the difference in firing this team towards the premiership title is another thing altogether.

The key criticism - if you could call it that - coming into the new campaign was their lack of a big man in the middle to lead the way.

There is little wonder the Sharks aggressively targetted the signature of Addin Fonua-Blake for next season. The released New Zealand Warrior has all the tools to take Cronulla that next step. To make them something bigger than they currently are.

But the focus currently has to be on this season. Hynes' return will be one thing, and if the Sharks can get back to where they were in the opening weeks of the campaign, there is a very real chance that with their attitude during Hynes' time out, they could take a very real challenge to the top teams.

I'd stop short of calling them among the title favourites, but September is a new season altogether, and you'd be foolish to write them off completely.

Their attitude holding up this Sunday against the Dragons will be a step in the right direction.

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