Brad Fittler in heated response to Nicho Hynes Origin snub
After snubbing Nicho Hynes once again, Blues coach Brad Fittler has hit back at the criticism.
Embattled NSW Blues coach Brad Fittler has staunchly defended his decision to overlook Nicho Hynes for the State of Origin finale, after his selections for the dead rubber to close the series prompted a mixed reaction from fans. Hynes, who played only a handful of minutes off the bench in game one before losing his spot for game two, with Cody Walker preferred to partner with Mitchell Moses for game three.
Jarome Luai was also a major omission, with Fittler also handing an Origin debut to Newcastle young gun Bradman Best. They've already lost the likes of Nathan Cleary and Tom Trbojevic to injury, with Fittler defending wholesale changes to the side as a result of their comprehensive game two defeat, which cost the Blues the series.
'RUDE': Greg Alexander blows up on TV over Bradman Best question
'I BELIEVE HIM': Billy Slater defends Reece Walsh after Origin ban
However, the second Origin snub for reigning Dally M medallist Hynes has lead to some criticism of Fittler, who defended himself on Tuesday. He said while he had respect for Hynes' form for Cronulla in the NRL, he believed the combination of Walker and Moses was a more natural fit.
Hynes played just 10 minutes in the State of Origin opener in Adelaide, playing at centre. Fittler dropped him for game two and has since faced accusations that he doesn't believe Hynes is up to the Origin standard.
“The situation with Nicho at the moment is he’s playing halfback with the Sharks and he pretty much predominantly plays on the right hand side,” Fittler said. “Mitchell Moses is a halfback who plays on the right hand side and you have someone like Cody Walker who is a five eighth who plays on the other side. They’re a much better fit.
“Because Nicho has been doing such a great job on and off the field at the moment, it seems like a really easy target for a lot of media people to come in to scrutinise and want to put pressure on that selection and it feels like they want to drive a wedge between Nicho and myself. Nicho and myself are totally understanding of the situation at the moment.
“I respect what he’s doing for the Sharks. He’s doing an incredible job. If he keeps going, he’s going to force his way into the team somewhere.”
Brad Fittler gives insight into Jarome Luai axing
Fittler also explained the rationale behind bringing the 33-year-old Walker in for Luai, who had faced substantial criticism of his own following his game two effort. Fans were unimpressed by his attempt to intimidate the Maroons by standing over Daly Cherry-Evans, while he also attracted scrutiny for his role in the late game bust-up with Reece Walsh, as well as hitting back at fans on social media in the hours after the loss.
“(Walker) had a quad injury going into the second origin,” Fittler said. “The thing is with Jarome I’ve loved him being part of the team. He brings great energy.
"He’ll never let you down on the field, but I just thought it’s Cody Walker’s time. He’s on his home ground in front of 70,000 - 80,00 people and like I said I picked a team to win.”
Matty Johns had earlier called for Blues coach Fittler to reinstate Hynes after the Sharks halfback was sensationally dropped after the Game I debacle. There is no doubt one of Fittler's biggest criticism has been his selections of players coming off the bench in both games with Hynes only featuring for 10 minutes at centre in Game I.
And while Cleary was injured for Game II, Fittler opted to drop Hynes completely in a hammer blow for the reigning Dally M winner. Hynes saw his form dip after the let down, but bounced back with two strong performances for the Sharks. And Johns has called for Fitter to reinstate Hynes in at five-eighth and give him a chance of redemption.
“Nicho Hynes was in the New South Wales system for a few years, he was only given 10 minutes at right centre (in Game I). Surely he deserves a crack in Game III as a starter to show what he’s about,” Johns said on Fox League's The Matty Johns Show.
Sign up to our newsletter and score the biggest sport stories of the week.
