Nicho Hynes bounces back from Brad Fittler saga amid Kangaroos selection

Nicho Hynes has earned a Kangaroos call-up after the injury to Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary sparking a contrast of fortunes following Brad Fittler sensationally dropping the Sharks halfback from the Blues squad. Cleary was the game-changer for the Panthers in the grand final as his all-time performance saw him drag his team to a third-straight NRL premiership.

This saw Mal Meninga select Cleary for the Kangaroos with Manly halfback Daly Cherry-Evans as his back-up. Unfortunately, he won't back up his performance for the Kangaroos after he had his leg caught underneath Broncos forward Payne Haas in the 10th minute of the NRL grand final.

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On Wednesday evening, Cleary withdrew from the squad having failed to recover from Haas' tackle. Hynes has been brought into the squad as a result, while Cherry-Evans will likely become the first-choice halfback.

However, Hynes' selection certainly surprised many with the Sharks playmaker not even selected as the replacement halfback for Cleary in State of Origin. Fittler, who stepped down as Blues coach, selected Hynes for his first Origin appearance in Game I.

The halfback was selected as a utility and the No.14 only received a couple of minutes on the field as centre. Cleary was injured ahead of Game II and while the Sharks halfback was considered by many as the direct replacement for Cleary, Fittler dropped Hynes from the squad and went with Mitchell Moses.

Hynes did not get another chance to prove himself in Origin as his form slightly dipped at club level after the drama. Except Hynes has now bounced back and received the backing of Meninga, ahead of other halfbacks such as Broncos' Adam Reynolds and Blues incumbent Moses.

And The Daily Telegraph reporter Dave Riccio has praised his inclusion for his form. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for Nicho,” Riccio said on SEN Radio. “He was over the moon (when he found out) because he was on a holiday in Noosa.

“He left his phone at the hotel room while he was at the pool so he didn’t know that Mal Meninga had parachuted him into the team. Hynes was of the belief that his season was over and now he gets the chance to pair up with a lot of his old Melbourne Storm teammates.

"He said he learnt a lot in that PM’s XIII game with Daly Cherry-Evans and that’s where Nicho’s level has got to get to. He’s got a stack of development to come and it’s camps like these that will add to that development.”

NRL fans praise Nicho Hynes Kangaroos selection

While he may not get a game, Hynes' inclusion was just reward for a player that received Dally M in 2022.

While a number of fans have praised Hynes' inclusion, others have been confused over some absentees. Meninga has come under fire for his squad following the NRL grand final, having kept under-fire fullback James Tedesco as captain.

He opted not to go with a reserve fullback in the squad, with many fuming over the exclusion of both Broncos young gun Reece Walsh and NRL premiership-winner Dylan Edwards.

While a number of his other selections have come under fire, Meninga has remained loyal to the majority of the Australian team that won the Rugby League World Cup in the UK late last year.

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