Brad Fittler responds after Nicho Hynes' eye-opening admission about Origin career

Yahoo

15 hours ago

Former NSW coach Brad Fittler has offered some advice to Nicho Hynes after the Cronulla star's candid admission about his disappointing State of Origin career to date. Hynes has only featured twice for the Blues - a Game 1 defeat in the 2023 series under Fittler and a Game 1 loss in 2024 - but has not been picked since. And Hynes conceded this week he could have done more to bond with teammates during his time in Blues camp.
"If I was to get picked again I guess I would put myself out there more," Hynes told Nine's 100% Footy. "I probably didn't bond as well with some of the team as I could have. It was definitely a good experience. I would never have a rep jersey and say it was a bad experience. If I never played for NSW again at least I can say I wore the Blues jersey proud, and I tried my best. Sometimes your best isn't good enough and so be it."
Hynes emerged as a bit of a scapegoat for many Blues supporters, but it's a little unfair on the former Dally M Medallist considering he was dropped after a loss in the Origin series opener in 2024 that came after an early send-off to Joseph Suaalii. The Blues played the majority of the contest with a man down and Hynes was unable to engineer an against-the-odds victory, before being overlooked for the remaining two games of the series that NSW won to claim the shield.
In the previous series in 2023, Hynes was played out of position when he came off the bench late in Game 1 and was widely criticised for a defensive lapse that allowed the Maroons to score a match-deciding try. Despite those previous struggles, Fittler believes Hynes 'will get another chance' to play Origin footy again if he keeps playing well for the Sharks.
But the former NSW coach agreed with Hynes that it's crucial for any Origin squad members to go out of their way to try and connect with teammates. And Fittler offered some telling advice for any other future Origin stars that might find themselves in the same situation as the Sharks halfback.
Brad Fittler's message to Nicho Hynes after Origin admission
"The one bit of advice I'd give to any player is just get out of your room," he said on Nine's Freddy and The Eighth. "Be with the team, don't be in your room - if you're in your room, you're on your own.
"I can't go back, I'd have no idea how Nicho was in those camps or if he got on with people or if he had some friends going in there, which sometimes helps. You've just got to force yourself to be with other people and learn about them.
"He (Hynes) played in the Origin game where (Joseph) Suaalii got sent off early and they ended up getting beat - he started in that game. We picked him in a game where he came off the bench for the last 10 or 15 minutes (in 2023), but I can't remember the actual camp.
"You can be pretty hard on yourself and if you get to play a rep game and you lose, it's a bad experience because it's intense and you want to win so bad. Just keep playing well and you will get another chance."
Blues legend Andrew Johns admitted it can be 'intimidating' for players to come into Origin camp and make their presence felt in front of more experienced players. And former NSW hooker Api Koroisau said the 10-day Origin camps don't offer players much time to form really meaningful connections with teammates.
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"You don't get much time, so your ability to bond quickly and get on the same page is really important," the Tigers co-captain said. "One moment can change everything - it can be a great experience or the best thing ever or it can be really hard on you."