Cronulla Sharks halfback Nicho Hynes remains full of praise for latest club debutant Riley Jones, admitting the 24-year-old was "deflated" when first arriving in the Shire before putting his head down and pushing towards his NRL goal.
Jones made his return to the NRL after 1099 days since his NRL debut with the Newcastle Knights in 2023, marking a story of resilience and the importance of a hard-working attitude.
Scoring his first NRL try on club debut last week, Jones can play anywhere in the backline and slotted in at right centre for the Sharks, despite playing hooker off the bench in his solitary game for the Knights.
He has found home in the centre role for the Newtown Jets' 2026 season, scoring eight tries in 15 appearances, while also recording over 120 metres per game in the NSW Cup.
Rewarded for his debut match, Jones will keep his NRL spot in the club's sudden-death final against the Cowboys on Saturday.
Hynes remains thrilled with Jones since his arrival at the club in the middle of last year, and has taken him under his wing as a fellow Central Coast native.
"He's just a guy who's come to the Sharks looking for an opportunity," Hynes said.
"He grew up on the Central Coast as well, so where I'm from and obviously I take a little more interest in someone who grew up around the same area and he's just a guy who's hungry and wants to learn."
The Sharks playmaker credited his adaptation into the Cronulla way and has bought into the Shire culture coach Craig Fitzgibbon has built in their hunt for their first title in 10 years.
"He was a bit deflated there when he first rocked up and didn't know whether he was going to get another opportunity to crack it," Hynes conceded.
"He's came in and he's brought into our systems, our connection, everything about the Sharks he loves, and you just see the smile on his face he comes in with every single day.
"I was just really happy that he was able to play a good game last week and score on his club debut, and it's been a few years since he played his first NRL game.
"It's just really exciting to see a guy come in and work hard and see the rewards he gets."
Meanwhile, Test international centre KL Iro continued the mountain of praise on Jones, while also giving his flowers to another rising star in Michael Gabrael.
"He's (Jones) been carving me up at training for a while now. I was pretty happy he got his debut, same as Michael Gabrael, (it's) unlucky he got suspended," Iro said.
"He'll be happy he's in the squad again and getting another round out there."
Jones's efforts in the past 12-months have earned him an extension in the Shire, re-signing for the 2027 season in the lead-up to their elimination final against the Cowboys.
"It means the world to me and my family,” Jones said in a Sharks statement on Thursday.
“I'm so grateful to Fitzy and the club for putting the trust in me.
“It wasn't an easy road back, but I got to live out another dream last weekend, so I'm very happy for my family as well, who have seen all the ups and downs.”
Jones will mark up against speedster Jaxon Purdue, giving him a good taste of NRL intensity and an opportunity to lock down a vacant centre role following Jesse Ramien's departure at year's end.
The Cowboys will travel to Sydney to face the Sharks on Saturday night at Allianz Stadium.
