- Hynes left the field against the Panthers with a HIA
- The runner never returned due to calf problems
- Hynes was a strong contender for the NSW number 7 spot
Nicho Hynes’ training load will need to be modified if he is selected for State of Origin, Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon has said after his halfback reported calf stiffness the day before the NSW team’s announcement for the first game.
Hynes, who came into the game as favorite to take the Blues’ number 7 shirt, stood up just before half-time in Cronulla’s 42-0 defeat to Penrith on Saturday night, having been awarded a knee to the head of Isaiah Yeo.
Hynes passed assessment on his head injury but remained off the field as the calf that has troubled him in recent weeks stiffened during his time on the sidelines.
“I’m not sure to what extent (replacing Hynes) had more to do with getting cold and hardening than anything else,” Fitzgibbon said.
Nicho Hynes (pictured) had a forgettable game against the Panthers, leaving the field due to HIA concerns and not returning due to calf issues.
Hynes’ place on the Blues team is uncertain just hours before the selection is made.
But the Sharks coach said that even if Hynes had finished the game, he likely would have entered Blues camp under a cloud of injuries.
“Even if it had passed, it would still have needed to be modified for (the Origin camp),” Fitzgibbon said of the player’s persistent calf problem.
“He did well last week and then he did well tonight.”
“It’s still there, I don’t know the severity, but it’s not like it’s completely gone.”
Hynes missed Melbourne’s round 10 defeat with a similar problem, but returned to star in the win over the Sydney Roosters a week later, albeit with some discomfort.
With Nathan Cleary, Mitch Moses and Adam Reynolds all injured, Hynes looked certain to start at halfback for the Blues in Origin I at Sydney’s Accor Stadium on June 5.
Even before his injury scare, Hynes endured a difficult night on Saturday, kicking the ball twice as the Sharks struggled for any kind of attacking momentum.
If Hynes is unavailable, coach Michael Maguire could turn to seven-time Blues five-eighth Jarome Luai, who has been playing at halfback for Penrith in recent weeks.
Canterbury’s Matt Burton could also be moved from five-eighth, while Chad Townsend, Isaiya Katoa and Luke Keary are more left field options.
Hynes came into the game as the favorite to take the Blues’ number 7 jersey.
Hynes Sharks teammates Cam McInnes and Jesse Ramien came into the Round 12 clash hoping to put the finishing touches on their own Origin cases.
But a inaugural Blues jersey was the last thing on McInnes’ mind when the final whistle blew in Saturday’s 42-0 rout.
‘I’m just thinking about tonight and how disappointing it was. My head is very far from (Origin) right now,’ she said.
