05-03-2025
Calls grow louder for Nicho Hynes switch amid 'concerning' footage of Sharks player
Cronulla fullback Will Kennedy has been called out for a couple of questionable defensive moments in the round one loss to Penrith, amid growing calls to move Nicho Hynes out of the halves. The Sharks ran the four-time reigning premiers close in an impressive season-opening display in Las Vegas but the class of the Panthers ultimately shone through in the six-point win.
Hynes didn't play badly by any means, but NRL greats Bryan Fletcher and Scott Sattler were among those to suggest a positional switch for the former Dally M Medallist could be beneficial for the Sharks. Braydon Trindall appeared to play the role of chief playmaker like he did at the back-end of 2024, with Hynes not getting the ball as much or showing the same intent as his standout season in 2022.
However, veteran league journalist Paul Crawley pointed to Kennedy's tryline defence as a bigger area of concern for coach Craig Fitzgibbon's Sharks. Speaking on Tuesday night's NRL 360 program on Fox League, Crawley said there were two key moments in the first half that led to Penrith tries in which he suggested the Cronulla No.1 should have done better.
The first came in the 26th minute when Panthers co-captain Isaah Yeo stepped back inside and scored from close range after some flimsy Sharks defence. Yeo exposed some tired defence from Addin Fonua-Blake and interchange prop Tom Hazelton to slice his way through, but Kennedy showed no desperation on his own tryline to try and prevent the Penrith star from scoring.
💥 ISAAH YEO 💥📺 Watch #NRLVegas #NRLPanthersSharks on ch.502 or stream on Kayo: ✍️ BLOG MATCH CENTRE
— Fox League (@FOXNRL) March 2, 2025
The second incident was a little harsher on Kennedy, but still highlighted a lack of desperation often seen from the game's best defensive fullbacks, such as Penrith's Dylan Edwards and Dragons recruit Clint Gutherson. It was Nathan Cleary's clever switch from the left to right side of the field that caught Cronulla napping, before his pin-point kick to Izack Tago resulted in Penrith's second try of the game.
Kennedy was at long-odds to stop the move and get to the footy before Tago, such was the brilliance of the execution from Penrith. But replays showed the Sharks fullback was nowhere near the play and was only casually jogging to get across when Tago scored. Crawley argued that someone like Gutherson would have anticipated the move in advance and sprinted across to try and stop it, describing Kennedy's defensive efforts as 'quite concerning'.
'There were two tries scored. Kennedy hardly makes an effort in this one (Yeo try) and in the next one (Tago try), Cleary does trick him by (shifting) sides but even so, I thought the effort from Kennedy would have to be a concern," Crawley said. 'If that's Clint Gutherson, he's going 100 miles an hour."
While Kennedy's attacking ability is rarely under the microscope, his defence has often being singled out by critics as the weakest part of the fullback's game. And Crawley's analysis will give fresh impetus for fans who've been calling for Hynes to move to fullback, where he previously excelled at the Melbourne Storm.
Hynes at fullback… he offers way more in attack in that position. Kennedy has to play nsw cup
— GhostOfYoshi (@GhostOfYoshi1) March 4, 2025
Nicko Hynes is a fullback. Dan Atkinson is a half. Simples?
— BSKT (@bskttrade) March 4, 2025
Hynes to fullback.. Kennedy is useless
— K (@K60006762) March 2, 2025
Hynes at 7 isn't the answer. He's got no vision. Can't see past his bootlaces. He's a fullback or 5/8.
— Matt (@MC_Hammer75) March 2, 2025
NRL greats Fletcher and Sattler also suggested this week that Hynes should switch positions at the Sharks, despite his clever pass to set up Jesse Ramien for the game's first try. Hynes once again more of a back seat though as Trindall steered the team around and also gave up the goal-kicking duties to his halves partner, prompting questions around whether Hynes was fully fit after suffering an injury scare during pre-season.
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Following the round one defeat, NRL great Fletcher made the shock call to play Hynes off the bench until he's regained his best form. "Trindall is their playmaker and their spark," Fletcher told SEN radio this week. "We saw that in the semi-final last year and everyone was saying 'Nicho has done well to take a back seat'. But I don't think it's Nicho taking a back seat, I think it's Braydon Trindall just demanding the ball.
"I think Kennedy is quicker than Nicho, so I don't know what they should do. I personally would start Nicho from the bench. I know that's a big call, but at the moment...I'm not saying he's a passenger, but I think he might benefit from a spell on the bench just to get the fire back into his belly."
While Penrith premiership great Sattler says a move to lock could be the best thing for Hynes and the Sharks. "I think he'd be really good in an Isaah Yeo-style role," Sattler said. "In that role you can basically be a chameleon and jump to any part of the field. He'd handle the work rate, he'd be really subtle with the ball and he could jump in and kick when need be."
