Nicho Hynes savaged after Origin snub as Maroons great calls out Blues

Maroons great Brent Tate has sunk the boot into Nicho Hynes and claimed he is 'not an Origin player' after Brad Fittler made the sensational call to axe the reigning Dally M winner. Fittler has been called out for his selections after Game I, which saw him not utilise Hynes off the bench until the final few moments.

The image of Hynes sitting on the bench as the clock ticked away certainly caught the ire of the Blues fans. Hynes suffered with a defensive lapse of judgement when introduced, which was hardly his fault having been introduced out of position at centre.

'WASTE OF TIME': Sad Dragons truth exposed after Shane Flanagan move

'A BIT FRAGILE': Gus Gould exposes Nicho Hynes detail in NSW axing

And after the Blues' Game I loss, Hynes was expected to slot into halfback when Nathan Cleary was ruled out with a torn hamstring. Instead, Fittler opted to drop Hynes altogether. This was just about an admission from Fittler that he and the selectors got the role of Hynes wrong in the first place and the Sharks halfback was not best suited for a utility role.

While many want Hynes either at halfback or five-eighth, Fittler has opted to drop the Sharks playmaker altogether. And while the selection has caused uproar and put an even bigger question mark on Fittler, former Maroons back Tate believes the Blues coach has made the right call.

And Tate went one step further and claimed Hynes isn't Origin calibre in a stunning takedown of the reigning Dally M. “I said before the first game, I love Nicho, I love what he’s about, I just don’t think he’s an Origin player myself,” Tate said on SENQ Mornings radio.

“I just don’t see that in Nicho and I don’t mean that to be disrespectful, I’m just calling it how I see it. I would’ve been more than happy for them (NSW) to pick him at seven, I really think the Queenslanders would’ve went after like they did in Game I.”

Brad Fittler under fire ahead of Origin Game II

While Fittler made a number of changes, most of which were forced with Damien Cook also coming in for the injured Api Koroisau, the big talk was around who would replace Cleary. Mitchell Moses or Adam Reynolds were both strong candidates but Fittler went with the Parramatta Eels halfback.

And Tate believes it was the right decision for the must-win game. “I think they’ve pulled the right rein either having Mitchell Moses or Adam Reynolds, either one of those guys in the Blues side at halfback, they’re as good as one and other, they both bring some really good qualities,” Tate aded.

“Freddy (has) made some big calls, if he doesn’t win this game, he’s gone, and I think he’ll be well aware of that. I guess that’s why they’ve had so much conjecture and waited so long mulling over what team to pick.”

Moses started coming into more conversations after being touted by Phil Gould and after his masterclass against Canterbury on Monday, the Parramatta half had rocketed into favouritism. Fittler admitted that he spoke with his long-time confidant Gould and agreed that Moses was a man that could do a job for the Blues in the absence of Cleary.

“I always talk to Gus - he’s good conversation - and I think we both see the same thing (in Moses),” Fittler said at Blues camp. “He’s a much more controlled player than he was five years ago and the kicking side of it is so important. He walks towards a challenge and that’s important."

Sign up to our newsletter and score the biggest sport stories of the week.