Sharks move to lock Hynes in for life
The Cronulla Sharks are already in the process of locking up superstar halfback Nicho Hynes for the remainder of his NRL career, whom manager Craig Fitzgibbon and the club believe will be one of the best in modern rugby league history.
It’s fairly early in his Cronulla career — Hynes has only played 25 games for the Sharks — but wouldn’t come as a surprise to the vast majority of footy fans after seeing the reigning Dally M medalist.
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Since his brilliant performance in the Melbourne Storm replacing injured full-back Ryan Papenhuyzen, the 26-year-old has gone from strength to strength and even surpassed his exploits south of the border when he took over as Regent in the Shire. In just 61 appearances, Hynes has confirmed that he is a great asset to any team.
And so, of course, the Sharks want to make sure no one else can have him.
To that end, Cronulla’s power brokers are already working on a four-year extension contract that will include a hefty salary increase. He signed a three-year, $600,000-a-season deal with the club when he joined ahead of the 2022 NRL season, but could see that jump to as much as $900,000 each season if he accepts the new offer . The expansion added to his current pack would keep him playing in Cronulla’s Light Blue until at least 2028, if not longer.
Considering that Hynes is the youngest Dally M medalist and is considered by many to be one of the few true game-breakers in the competition, a six-figure deal could actually be a steal for the Sharks.
There is no doubt that the sharks also consider Hynes their one-time king.
“We want Nicho at the club for the rest of his playing career and after football,” Sharks chairman Steve Mace told Buzz Rothfield in the Daily Telegraph earlier in the week. “On and off the field, he is what our DNA is about. When the time is right, we will sit down and have talks about a long-term deal.”
There’s only one thing stopping formal talks right now: Hynes is going through a lot off the field after his mother was found guilty of supplying heroin during the NRL offseason.
The shock arrest put his all-star appearance in question, though he finally showed up in Rotorua last weekend. Not only did he show up, but he played so well that he won the Preston Campbell Medal after leading his Indigenous side to a 28-24 victory over the Maori.
The sporty basis expects Hynes to come to the table with the Sharks in the early weeks of the season.
Cronulla kicks off their 2023 NRL campaign on March 4 when they host the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Shark Park. They then beat the round for away games against the Eels, Raiders and Dragons.
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