Latest news with #NichoHynes
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
SuperCoach NRL trade talk and tips, live Q&A, round 14 teams
I'll start, most unusually for me, with an apology. My Buy/Sell analysis will be truncated today due to a busy newsroom and the dreaded annual review. Not a bad week for that I guess with there being a reasonably limited number of quality buy/sell options and I will try hard to be concise (not my strength) when assessing them. Jayden Campbell – The most popular buy of the week and I can see why. Campbell had a great game at fullback in round 13 against the Storm with a try, two assists a bunch of offloads and some goals all of which added up to 93 points. His draw is good (covers next four games) but not great (he misses round 18). Campbell will revert to the halves if/when AJ Brimson is available (and the Titans are seeking an exemption to bring Brimson back this round) and while I prefer him at fullback his form at halfback has been solid. Campbell is behind only Nathan Cleary in terms of averages for halfback/five-eighths this year (minimum five games). His floor is good thanks to the goalkicking duties with a worst score of 46 he has a good ceiling (high score of 117) and four scores of 80+ from eight starts. BUY (NB a sneaky alternative buy is Nicho Hynes – he lacks the DPP flex of Campbell but he has scored 60+ in each of his past six matches and has an incredible ceiling – Hynes has scored 180+ against each of his next two opponents. Keaon Koloamatangi – Was the most popular trade of the round last week and special KK delivered for his new owners with 70+ in base, eight tackle busts and a try. Added $66K to his price thanks to that big game and while his price is getting up there I still see okay value at $660K. The fly in the ointment is the knee injury to Mitch Barnett which means NSW coach Laurie Daley is in the hunt for a middle forward for origin II. Koloamatangi, an edge forward remade into a middle, is almost an identical like-for-like replacement for Barnett which has owners on edge and should worry those looking to buy him. If picked for the Blues, KK changed from being a bye round miracle (locked in big scores and covering rounds 15, 16 and 18) to a bye round nightmare who would play at best three of the next six games and quite possibly just two of those. Owners and potential suitors will be hoping Laurie looks to the likes of Stefano Utoikamanu or even Terrell May instead. BUY Lehi Hopoate – No Turbo, no worries with Hopoate doing a superb job in his place at fullback against the Broncos. To be fair the Broncos were putrid, but you can only play what's in front of you and in Hopoate's favour the team in front of him for the next four rounds (Rd 14: Knights, Rd 15: Titans, Rd17: Tigers and Rd18: Souths) is not going to be very good. After that the draw gets much much tougher (Storm, Dogs, Roosters, Raiders) but that's not a reason not to buy. BUY Nathan Lawson – the former rugby sevens star acquitted himself well on NRL debut against the Knights but I do not understand the rush to buy. Christian Tuipulotu was close to being available for the game and should be fine for this week which will see Lawson revert to NSW Cup. NO Luke Metcalf – tonned up last week for his third triple-figure score of the season. that was good. Unfortunately, when he does not score 100+ Metcalf can be a bit quiet and fails to score 60+. Does not cover round 15 or 18 big bye rounds. NO Toby Couchman – Looking for a mid-range forward who will provide solid base and decent bye round coverage? I've got the guy for you. Averaging 63.1PPG (67 if you remove his injury affected game in round 10) of which near enough 55 comes in pure base, Couchman is a bit of a steal at a snip over $550K (that injury game saw him drop around $70K). The Dragons cover both remaining major byes which is an added bonus. Not just a worker bee, Couchman has some power to his game (averaging better than 8PPG in tackle busts/offloads combined) and as a result he has scored 65+ in six of his 11 starts. Might not be a keeper to the end but definitely worth a shot to medium term hold at his price. BUY Jack Williams – The Eels recruit is getting a fair bit of buzz in SC circles after scoring 96 in round 12 and 80 last week – each time with 59 points in pure base. Filling a hybrid role over the past fortnight where he moves between the middle and an edge there's a lot to like here. However, the Eels do not cover rounds 15 or 18 and I prefer Couchman's greater pedigree (he's basically been spending the entire season punching out a role like Williams has for a fortnight). NO Corey Horsburgh – I had Big Red as a sell last week and nothing has changed (other than he lost $14K after scoring 51 against the Roosters). Origin selection push is growing, cash is diminishing. SELL Zac Hosking – As I have mentioned before, while Hosking gets through solid work for a guy who is on an edge, he does not have a huge power game and so where he doesn't score a try you are stuck with low 50s (or worse). SELL Cameron Munster – The trickiest buy/sell of the week in my opinion. Five-eighth is a touch spot this season and Munster has been the best 'set and forget' option at the position all year. That said, I am pretty tempted to turn him into Campbell or Hynes and here is why. The Storm do not play round 15 (Origin/bye), their Origin players are unlikely to back up from Origin II (have just three day turnaround between game in Perth and the round 16 clash against Souths) and then miss round 18 (Origin). Origin players then have a three-day turnaround from Origin III (in Sydney) to their game in Newcastle in round 19 (which I do expect Munster to play but he may be rested). Assuming he misses the game following Origin II then I expect Munster to miss three of the next six rounds – and he could miss four. There's also price to think about. Munster scored consecutive tonnes in rounds 10 and 11 and as a result his price has soared to $746K. With some high BEs in his future then you could sell now and likely get him back once Origin is done for around $80K less. RELUCTANT SELL Robert Toia – The most popular sell of the week and I do understand why. The Roosters are on a bye this week and if Toia retains his Origin jumper then he might not play again in the next five weeks (Rd 14: BYE, Rd 15: Origin, Rd 16: unlikely to backup after Origin II in Perth, Rd 17: Bye, Rd 18: Origin). If dropped from the Maroons then he would provide tremendous coverage in the tricky 15/16 and 18 rounds. SELL
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Who needs DCE? Savala shines as Roosters stun Sharks
Hugo Savala has led a depleted Sydney Roosters side to a 42-16 win over Cronulla that will ignite questions over the NRL glamour club's pursuit of veteran halfback Daly Cherry-Evans. Savala stole the show at Industree Group Stadium in Gosford, the 23-year-old scoring a try, contributing three try assists and outgunning Sharks halfback Nicho Hynes on his home patch. Leading a Roosters side missing five State of Origin players and three NRL regulars through injury, No.7 Savala delivered the most mature display of his nine-game first-grade career on Saturday. Savala's long-term future at the Roosters has been subject to scrutiny this season, with his agent declaring he would explore loan options if Trent Robinson does what many expect him to do and lands the signature of Manly veteran Cherry-Evans. But on the evidence so far this season - and with Sam Walker still sidelined for a further month with an anterior cruciate ligament injury - Savala and Sandon Smith look to be bona fide NRL playmakers. Razzle dazzle from the Roosters! 🔥#NRLRoostersSharks — NRL (@NRL) May 24, 2025 The Roosters led 14-0 in as many minutes, with left winger Daniel Tupou catching and grounding two pin-point Savala kicks to the air. Both tries were converted by Smith, who added a penalty and finished the night with seven goals from eight attempts. Cronulla finally had some decent attack 15 minutes in, and on their first real foray forward the Sharks crashed over through Cameron McInnes. But the Roosters didn't go into their shell and instead combined for one of the plays of the season. Beginning in their own half, Savala started and finished it. He and Mark Nawaqanitawase combined to put Dom Young away down the right edge. The English winger burned KL Iro, then flicked a one-handed offload inside to James Tedesco, who tipped on to a supporting Savala to score. More woe was to come for the Sharks, with winger Ronaldo Mulitalo sin-binned for a shoulder-charge on Nawaqanitawase as the winger set the wheels in motion for Savala's try. The Sharks weathered the storm to trail 20-6 at halftime, but another Savala kick moved the Chooks out of reach. This time it was to the right wing, and while Young missed the ball, it fell kindly for former Wallabies winger Nawaqanitawase, who crashed over for his eighth try in nine NRL games. Debutant Roosters prop Xavier Va'a crashed in on just his second touch in the NRL, before Cronulla launched a late and short-lived fightback. Iro and Mulitalo crossed in the final 20 minutes, before Tedesco and Young wrapped up a deserved Roosters victory with late tries.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Andrew Johns' fury after NRL Immortal completely ignored by Newcastle coach
😃 The good: Ronaldo Mulitalo and divisive antics 😔 The bad: Andrew Johns' plea to Adam O'Brien ignored 😡 The ugly: Terrell May's State of Origin snub There are two schools of thought when it comes to Ronaldo Mulitalo. Some fans (mostly from the Shire) love what the Cronulla winger brings to the game, with his all-talking, all-energy approach. Others label him a big-mouth and predict he's set for a big fall when karma pays him a visit. Whatever you think of him, there is no denying Mulitalo's value and contribution to a Sharks side slowly making its way up the table. After his winger spent most of the game getting in the faces of Melbourne players while playing a massive role in Cronulla's five-point win on Saturday night, coach Craig Fitzgibbon defended his man. "Passion's a good word (for him). He's one of those players that's a good barometer for where your team's energy's at and wanting it so bad," Fitzgibbon said. "He wears his heart on his sleeve and is a really passionate player. He sticks up for his teammates and sometimes pushes the boundaries a little bit, but he's one of those guys you want on your team. "He gets in a battle mode and he's hard to control once he gets into that. We love him for that. Sometimes the lines get blurred but he's doing it for his teammates." Nicho Hynes added: "He's awesome, Ronnie, but I'd hate to play against him. He's a pain the backside but he's someone who brings players together. When he crosses that white line, no one's his friend on the opposition team. We love having him." A host of former players are of the opinion he should just shut up and play football. Either way, Ronnie is box office. It's safe to assume Andrew Johns knows a thing or two about Newcastle and halfbacks. So, when the eighth Immortal says the Knights need to bring Jackson Hastings back at No.7 to reboot a season going nowhere, you'd think coach Adam O'Brien would lean in for a listen. Apparently not. Despite his side losing seven of their last eight to slide to slip to 15th on the ladder, the Knights boss dismissed suggestions Hastings should be recalled to the NRL following Friday night's embarrassing defeat to Parramatta. It's only increased speculation Hastings is off with several senior figures at the club and it's his divisive personality – not his football – keeping him anchored in the NSW Cup. Joey could barely contain his anger and frustration. He said: "They've got to work out who their halves are (because) Tyson Gamble's not a halfback, he's a really good 14. One thing about Jackson, he's polarising as we all know, but he can get you around the park. "He'll organise, he can get a game plan on, he kicks well and he brings other players into play. There's rumours about certain feuds and all this, which I couldn't give a rat's about. Whoever's the best No.7, put them in there and leave them there, because there's no stability in the key areas." There is no doubt Terrell May has the ability to play State of Origin. The Tigers prop has all the traits needed to succeed at that level. But you wonder if his chance will ever come given the reputation – warranted or not – he now carries as someone who doesn't buy into team culture. The Roosters have never fully explained why they extended May's contract last year only to flick him months later. No club gets rid of a representative class player like that without very good reason. The Chooks obviously didn't like what they saw away from the football paddock. May was only ever an outside shot at making the Blues side for Origin 1, but did himself no favours with an online chat telling a mate to throw his NSW jersey in the bin after word got around the front-rower would be overlooked. That fired up former Blues skipper and coach Brad Fittler. "(Manly's) Haumole Olakau'atu a couple of years ago did something very similar and last year I went into Manly and he came up and apologised and sat there and just spoke about how he was immature,' Fittler said. "I really respected things he was speaking about and how contrite he was. "I reckon maybe Terrell May should maybe ring Haumole and humble up a little bit. Seriously, what are these blokes thinking? There's people at home who just love this game. They just love it. And you sit there playing a game and all of a sudden you want to just talk like this. How blasé. Pathetic."
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.'
