- Sharks scrum-half axed from State of Origin
- He’s had a rough run with Cronulla in the NRL
- Now he has received even worse news.
Nicho Hynes is in contention to play for Cronulla again ahead of the NRL finals after scans revealed a fractured ankle and a complete rupture of the syndesmosis ligament.
Cronulla confirmed the worst possible news for their star midfielder on Tuesday, who will miss approximately eight weeks with the injury.
Hynes attended Sharks training on Monday and was helped off the field by two men before being sent for scans.
The 2022 Dally M medallist has since seen specialists and is now unlikely to return until at least the eve of the final.
“It has been confirmed that Nicho has a complete rupture of the syndesmosis, in addition to a tibial fracture in his left ankle,” Sharks head of performance Nathan Pickworth said.
‘He will undergo surgery tomorrow (Wednesday) and is expected to return to the field in approximately eight weeks.’
The injury is a major blow for the Sharks, who have lost five of their last six games and fallen from first to fourth in the standings.
Two months ago Cronulla were comfortably in a position to take top spot but are now just four points clear of tenth-placed St George Illawarra.
Nicho Hynes will undergo surgery and miss up to eight weeks of football ahead of the final
This comes after the Sharks scrum-half was sacked from the New South Wales Origin squad.
Dan Atkinson will come in at half-back in place of Hynes and will partner Braydon Trindall.
Forward Jack Williams is also expected to miss Friday’s clash with Wests Tigers with a wrist injury.
It’s been a tough month for Hynes, whose Sharks disappointed in a surprising loss to the Titans on Friday night.
Last week, Hynes had a chance to pull off a win against Canterbury when the Sharks, who had started slowly, entered the red zone.
But the 28-year-old missed his shot from 18 metres out and straight in front, and Matt Burton sealed the Bulldogs’ 15-14 win with his own long-range effort just a minute later.
The Sharks have been falling down the NRL standings with a series of losses as well.
The following weeks were complicated for the 2022 Dally M medalist.
Hynes found himself dropped as New South Wales’ scrum-half following the opening match of the State of Origin series after struggling to rally the 12-man Blues into the contest at Accor Stadium.
In his first game after Origin I, Hynes also missed a sideline conversion attempt that could have sent the Sharks into overtime against the Dolphins, who instead escaped with a 30-28 victory.
Coach Craig Fitzgibbon said Hynes’ mistake against the Bulldogs would serve him well in the long run.
“This is going to shape him,” the Sharks coach said.
“He has to go through it, it’s part of his responsibility. He’s accepting it. He’s been bitten before, he’s been a bit pushy, but in the last two weeks he’s recognized it.”