Nicho Hynes in 'serious' training development as Cronulla Sharks face further NRL setback
The Cronulla Sharks have been rocked after a training mishap.
Nicho Hynes has taken a nasty fall at Sharks training and could be facing a long time on the sidelines as Cronulla face the possibility of turning their NRL form slump around without their halfback. Despite his sensational form to start the season, Hynes has copped plenty of backlash in recent weeks with his club form dipping after he was dropped from the Blues squad for State of Origin Game 2.
It marked the second year in a row that Hynes copped the axe after a NSW loss in the first game of the series. And Hynes' form at club level has since dropped off. His recent struggles have coincided with the Sharks' poor form in recent weeks.
The Sharks, once sitting at the top of the NRL ladder, have lost three games in a row and have dropped to fourth in the standings. And to make matters worse, Hynes is now facing a 'serious' injury having left training on Monday after an accident.
Hynes collapsed at training due to an ankle injury and was carried off the field. He was sent for scans to see the severity of the injury. Nine News reporter Sam Djoden initially reported the incident and claimed it appeared to be a 'serious' incident.
"The Sharks confirm reports in relation to a training injury suffered by Nicho Hynes earlier today," a club statement read. "Hynes injured an ankle late in today's Sharks training session at PointsBet Stadium and will be sent for scans to assess the extent of the issue."
The halfback was looking to bounce back from a number of below-par performances and an injury would be a brutal setback for the under pressure Sharks leader. Craig Fitzgibbon's men play the Wests Tigers on Friday night seeking a win to get their season back on track.
Big story out of Sharks training. Nicho Hynes has been carried off with what looks to be a serious ankle injury. Sent straight for scans. @9NewsSyd @NRLonNine
— Sam Djodan (@samdjodan) July 8, 2024
Nicho Hynes has been carried off Sharks training with what could be a “serious ankle injury” (via @samdjodan).
Will head straight for scans - hopefully more a lateral ankle sprain which can be super painful initially but overall not as bad as it looks. Not good signs though 😬😬— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) July 8, 2024
Season over. For real this time
— Whatever (@suthodan) July 8, 2024
Hopefully the Nicho injury is just a 2-3 weeker to give him the rest up that he needs. If it's a season-ending injury, our season is over! #UpUpCronulla
— Ian Earnshaw (@therealian89) July 8, 2024
Nicho Hynes struggles after Origin snub
Hynes was rewarded with selection for the Blues after his strong form to start the NRL season. Unfortunately, the halfback has endured a brutal few weeks. He was dropped from the NSW State of Origin team after an underwhelming display in Game 1 - albeit in a 12-man Blues team that was hampered by Joseph Suaalii's send-off.
It marked the second year in a row that Hynes copped the axe after a NSW loss in the first game of the series. With his spot still up in the air he missed a sideline conversion against the Dolphins that would have sent the game into extra-time - a telling miss considering he'd been kicking at 93 per cent this year.
RELATED:
Maguire doubles down on Origin remarks after Gorden Tallis swipe at Blues
Billy Slater cops backlash after Queensland team for Origin 3 revealed
Two games ago, he failed to ice the game-winning field-goal against the Bulldogs from right in front and 15 metres out, before Matt Burton landed the winning one-pointer just seconds later. Hynes also missed two conversions out of three against the Dogs, which provided costly in the 15-14 loss. He then failed to take control of the Sharks team in the final stages in their loss to the Titans on Friday night.
