LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
A premiership is always transformative, not just for the club, but for the men who carry its spine.
In 2025, for Nicho Hynes, Nathan Cleary, Jahrome Hughes, and Reece Walsh, a title would do more than fill a cabinet.
It would recalibrate how their careers are judged, shift narratives, and in some cases, alter what "greatness" looks like. Below is what that one gleaming season would mean for each.
Nicho Hynes arrived at Cronulla with baggage; flashes of brilliance, Dally M honours, but not yet a signature success.
A 2025 premiership would vindicate every decision he made: the move from the Melbourne Storm, the gamble of owning his own team, and the burden of being the "guy to beat."
It would erase lingering doubts that he is a stat-chaser rather than a champion builder. More than that, it could reframe him as one of the era's elite halfbacks, not just in flashes but in impact.
At 29, his window is still open, but not infinite. A title now could push him into the category of players whose reputations were forged not just by metrics, but by winning when it mattered.