Latest news with #Hynes
Sydney Morning Herald
15-05-2025
- Climate
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘I just don't care': Why Nicho Hynes is happy to be brushed by Blues
Nicho Hynes drove to Shark Park on Thursday morning as rain swept in off Woolooware Bay. The Bureau of Meteorology expects the squalls to settle in for at least a week, or possibly relenting some time in August. As far as Hynes is concerned though, life is nothing but sunshine and lollipops as an interview goes for 10 minutes until he has to field a question about State of Origin. 'I love it,' Cronulla's million-dollar No.7 grins. 'I knew I had media today and it's just so good not to be spoken about being in [NSW] contention. 'And it's a bittersweet pill because you want to be spoken about being in contention. But I think that's been too much of a focus for me, over the last two years, wanting to be in that arena. 'You can forgive me for that because every player wants to be in the discussion about Origin. And I got to do it. But right now I just have so much focus on myself and rocking up to be a better player for the Sharks. 'I'm not worrying about external stuff, I'm not worrying about my [representative] goals, my goals will come if the team is performing and I'm playing good footy for the Sharks. 'I couldn't care less if I don't go anywhere near Origin this year. All I want is for the Sharks to be in contention to win a premiership. 'Then the rest will come at a later date. I don't want people to think that I'm shitting on not playing for NSW. I would love to, but right now I just don't care.'
The Age
15-05-2025
- Climate
- The Age
‘I just don't care': Why Nicho Hynes is happy to be brushed by Blues
Nicho Hynes drove to Shark Park on Thursday morning as rain swept in off Woolooware Bay. The Bureau of Meteorology expects the squalls to settle in for at least a week, or possibly relenting some time in August. As far as Hynes is concerned though, life is nothing but sunshine and lollipops as an interview goes for 10 minutes until he has to field a question about State of Origin. 'I love it,' Cronulla's million-dollar No.7 grins. 'I knew I had media today and it's just so good not to be spoken about being in [NSW] contention. 'And it's a bittersweet pill because you want to be spoken about being in contention. But I think that's been too much of a focus for me, over the last two years, wanting to be in that arena. 'You can forgive me for that because every player wants to be in the discussion about Origin. And I got to do it. But right now I just have so much focus on myself and rocking up to be a better player for the Sharks. 'I'm not worrying about external stuff, I'm not worrying about my [representative] goals, my goals will come if the team is performing and I'm playing good footy for the Sharks. 'I couldn't care less if I don't go anywhere near Origin this year. All I want is for the Sharks to be in contention to win a premiership. 'Then the rest will come at a later date. I don't want people to think that I'm shitting on not playing for NSW. I would love to, but right now I just don't care.'
New York Times
14-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
NHL coaches, execs on what makes new Rangers coach Mike Sullivan so effective: ‘No bulls—'
The NHL coaching fraternity is small, and until Mike Sullivan parted ways with the Pittsburgh Penguins two weeks ago, he and Jon Cooper were the league's longest-tenured coaches. So the two had shared drinks and gatherings over the years. But they're not close buddies and have never sat down to talk about the strategy or teaching or details of NHL coaching. Cooper's assessment of how Sullivan has risen to the upper echelon of NHL coaches is based largely on watching Sullivan's Penguins teams play. Advertisement That's enough for the Tampa Bay Lightning coach to see why the New York Rangers wasted no time in signing Sullivan to the richest coaching deal in the league earlier this month. 'The sign of a good coach, to me, is when the star players are playing super hard,' Cooper told The Athletic. 'Sully got his star players in Pittsburgh to play hard, even years into his time there. For me, that's a great sign. The other sign is: Does the team look disorganized at all? Do they look like they've gotten the message from the coach on how to play? And his teams have always looked like they knew what was going on. 'Those things sound easy to do, but they're not.' Sullivan is a coaching lifer, though not in the same way as many current veteran coaches. Lindy Ruff, Peter Laviolette, Peter DeBoer, John Tortorella and Paul Maurice — the five active coaches with the most wins — have bounced around and coached multiple NHL teams in shorter stints, aside from Ruff's long first run with the Buffalo Sabres. Sullivan got his first shot at running an NHL bench in 2003, lasting two seasons with the Boston Bruins. He didn't get another shot as a head coach for a decade, then won back-to-back Stanley Cups with a star-laden Penguins team to kick off a 10-year stay. In between the head-coach gigs, through stints with the Lightning, Rangers and Vancouver Canucks as Tortorella's top assistant and then a brief stay in the AHL with Wilkes-Barre, Sullivan honed his X's and O's craft and his ability to connect with his players, from the best leader in hockey in Sidney Crosby down to the 17-year-olds he ran drills for in Europe ahead of the Four Nations tournament for the U-17 level. That Four Nations event was in 2006-07, after Sullivan was let go by the Bruins. John Hynes was coaching the U-17 team at the U.S. National Team Development Program and invited Sullivan to work the kids out, talk to them and stay in the game. Sullivan and Hynes are both Boston University grads — as is Rangers general manager Chris Drury — but they never crossed paths in college, only in the coaching world. Advertisement Their relationship has grown strong over the years, and Hynes joined Sullivan's staff when he became head coach of Team USA for this year's 4 Nations Face-Off and next year's Olympics, with both now long-established NHL coaches. 'He loves the tactical part, the X's and O's stuff, the trends in the game,' Hynes said. 'He's very open to change and understanding the newer styles of play. But like with most coaches, there are some foundational things that he believes are always effective. I'm sure you're going to hear him say it at some point (in New York) or hear one of the players say it: 'If we do these things we have to do in our game, there will be times when you can let your instincts take over.' 'He and I have talked a lot about that aspect of coaching. You commit to these parts of our game and then, when the game calls for more creativity, you have the freedom to do that.' Jim Rutherford didn't hire Sullivan directly as the Penguins' AHL coach before the 2015-16 season. That was then-Pittsburgh assistant GM Jason Botterill. But Rutherford, then the Penguins' GM, certainly knew what he had in Sullivan when the Penguins started training camp with all their coaches, NHL and AHL, running drills. 'When Jason hired him, all we wanted was a guy who was capable of moving up to the big club at some point,' Rutherford said. 'When I saw Sully in training camp, I knew we definitely had that. The Penguins got off to a slow start that year (under Mike Johnston), and Wilkes-Barre was (19-5-0) with Sully — a really good start. So it was an easy call.' One move Sullivan made when he took the Penguins job stood out to Rutherford in hindsight. 'He brought three or four younger guys who'd been with him in the AHL as call-ups,' Rutherford said. 'He was familiar with them and he knew they could help us. And those guys — Conor Sheary, Bryan Rust, Tommy Kuhnhackl and eventually Matt Murray — they helped us win a Stanley Cup. Advertisement 'Sully knows the value of every point, and he wants things done right away. But he also put those young players in position to succeed — not just that year but for years to come.' And the most impressive aspect of Sullivan's coaching style, for Rutherford, had very little to do with what went on during games. It was how he handled interactions with players — 'or anybody, really,' Rutherford said — who had a different viewpoint. ''Meet me halfway' was what he'd say a lot,' Rutherford said. ''We can agree to disagree on the principle, but for the good of the team, try it my way.' And no one ever came out of those meetings and said, 'Gee, I didn't get anything out of that.' Mike could have been a sports psychologist.' Sullivan does have a gruff demeanor coupled with the heavy Massachusetts accent that might make him seem not too different from Laviolette, his Rangers predecessor. But there's more to it than that. 'He's got a lot of 'no bulls—' to him,' said Cooper, who also coached against Sullivan at the 4 Nations as Canada's coach. 'He gets to the point, gets it across and moves on. I think that's served him well. But there's another side to him — the 'Sit down, have a couple beers' side. There's a fun Sully in there too.' Hynes said the preparation Sullivan did for the 4 Nations and is doing for the Olympics has been something to see. Hynes, Tortorella and another former Rangers coach, David Quinn — who played at BU with Sullivan, a relationship that goes back nearly 40 years — are Sullivan's assistants for Team USA and were all working as head or assistant coaches this past season as well. Hynes, the Minnesota Wild coach, said Team USA (and Wild) GM Bill Guerin and Sullivan were straight to the point — starting with naming the 'First Six' players to the team in June. 'Not much wasted time,' Hynes said. 'When we did meet, those Zooms were short and to the point. Him and Billy really thought through the players we named early to the roster. It was really no stone unturned. 'Who are the candidates? What's the message sent with naming each of the six guys?' It was good communication, not just with the six that were named but others in the mix, and that really helped us hit the ground running as a team.' Advertisement Sullivan commanded respect up and down the Penguins organization despite his eventual exit. When Rutherford abruptly resigned seven games into the 2020-21 season and Ron Hextall and Brian Burke came in, Sullivan's standing with Pittsburgh ownership didn't waver. Nor did it as the team fell into lottery status in recent years. You win two Cups, and the coach-GM relationship will be strong, for sure, but Rutherford said Sullivan understood the relationship well. And in Drury, Sullivan has a relationship that goes back 25-plus years to lean on. 'When we'd call up a player or make a trade, with Sully it was always, 'We'll make it work,'' Rutherford said. 'It was never, 'This guy can't do anything for us,' 'I heard this guy isn't good.' It's a game of mistakes, and there's always constructive criticism or disagreements at times, but he never once complained about a new player. He knew we were both trying to put the best team on the ice we could.' Hynes has spent plenty of time talking coaching with Sullivan — systems, teaching, motivation and all the other things that go into trying to get players to work together toward an ultimate goal. 'Our jobs are basically to enforce accountability but in a way where there's still good relationships — a good environment,' Hynes said. 'He and I have had many, many talks about how to do that the best way. Our jobs as coaches are to maximize players' potential, and that can get uncomfortable. It's a constant topic. 'With Sully, he's really the whole package. He's well-prepared. He's open to information. He wants opinions but does a good job cutting the fat off the bone and dialing in on what needs to be done. The teaching part, the motivational part, how he commands a room — I've been fortunate enough to know him a long time, see him in action, and it's impressive to watch.'
Daily Mail
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Fans have been calling footy heartthrob Nicho Hynes the dreaded C-word this year - here's why they have to stop
Nicho Hynes has vowed there'll be a time in 2025 when he steps up to nail a game-winning field goal, following criticism of his inability to ice Cronulla's golden-point clash with Wests Tigers. Even before bouncing back from that missed chance with a masterclass against Parramatta, Hynes was feeling content with his form at the sixth-placed Sharks. Through nine games this season, the halfback has produced only three try assists fewer than he managed for the whole 2024 campaign. Hynes has faced increasing scrutiny over his performance in clutch situations, with some fans calling him a 'choker' ever since he failed to have a big impact late in Cronulla's first-round loss to Penrith in Las Vegas. Three of his try assists came in the Sharks' 28-18 win at Magic Round, only five days on from the loss to the Tigers, during which Hynes missed three shots at a game-winning field goal. That didn't worry Hynes, even if it prompted the latest round of debate over his record in pressure games. 'I'm feeling good. I'm not worried about my game, I'm playing really good footy, I feel. My coaching staff are happy, all my players are happy,' he said. 'I don't listen to anything (criticism) that's going on. I'm playing good footy, and if I know deep down that I'm playing good footy, that's all that matters. 'I still feel like I played a good game last week, I just didn't ice a field goal.' After that loss to the Tigers, the Sharks were told by the NRL they should have received a penalty in extra time because Alex Seyfarth was offside attempting to charge down one of Hynes' field-goal attempts. The non-call denied Hynes the chance to be the hero by slotting a game-winning penalty goal. But he said there would always be times when luck wasn't on his side. '(Against the Eels) it was. Some weeks it won't be,' he said. 'There's going to be a time this year when we're going to need a field goal and I'm going to put myself in position to try and nail it. I'll keep continuing to do that. 'I'm not going to shy away from any tough stuff. I'm going to keep fighting hard and putting our team in position to win tight games of footy.' Getting off social media and spending time with loved ones have been the secrets to Hynes' happiness this season. The 28-year-old is currently living with his girlfriend, best mate and mother - as well as his beloved dog. 'He doesn't give a s*** if I win or lose,' Hynes said of his four-legged buddy. 'I've got things in place where I don't need to be around negativity. 'I don't need nay-sayers in my life, I don't go on social media anymore, I just put myself around people who love me and I love.
7NEWS
03-05-2025
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Nicho Hynes ignites Magic Round in Cronulla's win over Parramatta
An 'outstanding' Nicho Hynes has silenced his critics and ignited NRL Magic Round by guiding Cronulla to a 28-18 defeat of plucky Parramatta. Halfback Hynes threw the last pass for the two tries that put Cronulla on top at the break on Friday night, then sent captain Cam McInnes over to make it a three-score game in the second half. The Eels then scored twice in two minutes to make a game of things while the Sharks lost Jesse Colquhoun to the sin bin for a professional foul. But Cronulla fullback Will Kennedy, in career-best form, sealed the result by putting winger Sam Stonestreet over for his second try in the final 10 minutes. Hynes's superb performance came only five days after he and halves partner Braydon Trindall were questioned for failing to take control in an extra-time loss to Wests Tigers. 'We came down with a thud from a 90-minute game that you don't win. The boys just rocked up ready to go,' said Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon. 'Give or take a couple of minutes where we had Jesse in the bin, we were playing well.' The Sharks' attack was more assured than in the Tigers clash, with Hynes first swinging left to put KL Iro in for a try on the centre's return from a hamstring injury. Cronulla's next four-pointer came as Hynes's favourite collaborator Briton Nikora grabbed the halfback's pass and skipped behind Dylan Brown en route to the tryline. '(Hynes) is in a really good place,' said McInnes, the beneficiary of Hynes's third try assist. 'Regardless of what's said on the outside, he's doing so many good things for our team. He was outstanding tonight.' After a week of scrutiny on the NRL's use of the sin bin, referee Peter Gough banished only Colquhoun for an open-and-shut professional foul when the Sharks forward held Dylan Brown back in support. 'The sin bin is an obvious sin bin, from our point of view,' said Fitzgibbon. Wooden spoon favourites only a matter of weeks ago, the Eels continued encouraging signs since the return of star halfback Mitch Moses, particularly in the period when Colquhoun was off. 'Frustration (with the loss) but I can see where we're heading. That's the feeling,' said Eels coach Jason Ryles. 'The players definitely get confidence when he (Moses) is getting ready in the sheds. There's no doubt about it. 'Everyone sees the talent that he's got but what I love about him is that he turns up every day and he competes and he drives standards and he wants to get better every day.' While the Eels had an extra man, winger Josh Addo-Carr sealed his double on a shift down the left before Moses snapped up J'Maine Hopgood's offload and connected with Brown on the next set. Moses showed his renowned competitive streak earlier in the game, engaging in a verbal sparring match with Trindall when the Sharks five-eighth hit him late off the ball. 'It's just two halves competing,' Moses said with a grin. Dally M leader Kennedy had earlier set up Stonestreet's first try with a quick grubber kick and put paid to the Eels' comeback when he and Hynes linked up to send the rangy winger over again. The Sharks lost Sifa Talakai to a game-ending head knock, with the forward set to miss next Sunday's clash against Manly.
