Brutal Nicho Hynes reality exposed by Cameron Munster in staggering NRL finals act for Storm

For all the pre-game questions around whether Nicho Hynes could step up and deliver for his side in a big game, it was Cameron Munster that provided a masterclass for the Sharks playmaker after starring in Melbourne's thumping NRL finals victory. Munster was incredible as the Storm belted Cronulla 37-10 on Saturday evening to earn themselves a week off and move within one victory of a grand final appearance.

The Storm five-eighth showed his intent from the very start of the match, bamboozling the Sharks' defence with an outrageous dummy before darting over for the game's opening try. And it proved a sign of things to come as the recently-turned 30-year-old terrorised Cronulla's defence all evening, finishing the game with nine tackle breaks and 174 running metres from a staggering 22 carries.

Even veteran Storm coach Craig Bellamy expressed his shock at the mountain of work that his superstar No.6 got through. "It's not in our game plan - but we like him when he runs the ball," Bellamy said. "He must have had a couple of extra Red Bulls before the game, he just kept running the ball and he was very effective. That just goes to show that him as a leader, wanted to make a contribution ... he did a great job.

"We know he can do great things with the ball, but I was impressed with how he defended tonight. Sometimes that's not the strong part of his game, but I thought he was really strong tonight. We all want to see him run the ball and handle the ball and pass the ball and set things up and stick to the plan...but I thought his defence was really effective tonight too."

Jahrome Hughes also put in another superb display for the Storm to show why he's widely tipped to win this year's Dally M Medal. But it was Munster's ability to once again deliver on the big stage that really caught the eye - in stark contrast to his playmaking opposite Hynes, who endured a game to forget for the Sharks.

Nicho Hynes questions mount after latest big-game flop

Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon defended the former Dally M Medallist in the lead-up to the finals showdown, amid criticism that he goes missing in the biggest games. Hynes has suffered a couple of demoralising axings from the NSW State of Origin side after failing to deliver for his state and the 28-year-old's mentality and playmaking credentials have frequently come under the spotlight.

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On Saturday, Hynes had an opportunity to provide a telling statement to his critics but merely provided them with more ammunition after being largely anonymous in a poor showing for the heavily beaten Sharks. Hynes failed to find touch from a penalty in one particularly embarrassing first half moment and spilled a regulation catch off an attacking bomb when the Sharks looked dangerous in the second forty.

But as thoroughly outclassed as the Sharks were from a ruthless Storm side led by hat-trick hero and captain, Harry Grant, the fact that halves partner Brayden Trindall completely outshone Hynes was particularly concerning. Unlike his high-profile teammate, Trindall demanded the footy and took on the responsibility of chief playmaker, despite Hynes being the club's million-dollar man.

The contrast in confidence between Trindall and Hynes was no more evident that when the former produced a magical flick pass for Briton Nikora to score a crucial try before halftime to reduce the deficit to four. It proved the last score for the Sharks though as they suffered a seventh-straight NRL finals defeat.

Cronulla's finals record under Fitzgibbon now stands at 0-4 and the latest defeat sets up a sudden-death clash with North Queensland in Sydney next week. The Cowboys will be buoyed after their tense elimination final victory over Newcastle in Saturday night's later game, with the week two finals game offering Hynes another shot at redemption and the Sharks the chance to shake the finals monkey off their backs.