LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
Former NSW coach Brad Fittler has provided guidance to Nicho Hynes following Hynes' honest reflections on his disappointing State of Origin career to date. Hynes, who has only participated in two matches for the Blues, faced a Game 1 defeat in the 2023 series and a loss in 2024, with no further selections since. He acknowledged that he could have made greater efforts to bond with his teammates during his time with the Blues.
Hynes shared, "If I was to get picked again I guess I would put myself out there more. I probably didn't bond as well with some of the team as I could have. It was definitely a good experience. I would never have a rep jersey and say it was a bad experience. If I never played for NSW again at least I can say I wore the Blues jersey proud, and I tried my best. Sometimes your best isn't good enough and so be it."
Despite being seen as a bit of a scapegoat by some Blues supporters, these criticisms may be misplaced. Hynes was dropped after the opening match of the 2024 series, which followed an early send-off of teammate Joseph Suaalii, leaving the Blues to play most of the game with a man down. Hynes could not turn the tide, and he was subsequently left out for the remaining matches, which NSW won to secure the shield.
In the earlier series in 2023, Hynes had to play out of position when he came off the bench late in Game 1 and faced backlash for a defensive mistake that led to a Maroons match-winning try. Fittler, however, remains optimistic about Hynes, believing that he "will get another chance" at playing Origin provided he maintains strong performance for the Sharks.
Fittler concurred with Hynes regarding the necessity for Origin players to build connections with their teammates. He shared valuable advice for future Origin players who might find themselves in similar situations to Hynes'.
Fittler advised, "The one bit of advice I'd give to any player is just get out of your room. Be with the team, don't be in your room - if you're in your room, you're on your own. I can't go back, I'd have no idea how Nicho was in those camps or if he got on with people or if he had some friends going in there, which sometimes helps. You've just got to force yourself to be with other people and learn about them."