Phil Gould exposes Nicho Hynes detail amid NSW Origin axing: 'A bit fragile'
The rugby league identity has identified why he thinks the Sharks star was axed by NSW.
Nicho Hynes has received reassurance from a member of Origin's one-game club as former NSW coach Phil Gould declared the Blues were right to overlook the Sharks star due to his "fragile" state of mind. Parramatta's Mitchell Moses has been confirmed as NSW's No.7 for Wednesday week's must-win clash in Brisbane, securing his State of Origin spot on the back of a stand-out performance for the Eels against Canterbury on Monday.
Hynes has been left out of the squad altogether and appears to have paid the price for a poor performance off the bench in Game I followed by some average club form. Talking on Nine's 100% Footy, Gould would have retained Hynes at 14 but is comfortable with the decision to use Moses at halfback.
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"A lot of these players that would have thought they were in contention had to go out on the weekend and perform - some rose to the occasion and others crumbled a little bit," Gus said. "Nicho is a long way from running a team by himself at this level.
"He needs a lot more big game football before I think he's ready to wear the 7 jersey in Origin. My mail was that after the Origin in Adelaide, he was a bit fragile.
"He was upset he was thrown in there late (and) missed a tackle that maybe cost them the game. He came back lacking a little in confidence. I'm not sure this is the one to blood Nicho Hynes at 7."
One-game Origin star says Hynes will bounce back
Phil Blake was the same age as Hynes – 26 – when handed his Origin debut off the bench for the Blues in the last game of the 1989 series. He wasn't given another opportunity despite a brilliant club career, but doesn’t believe Hynes will suffer the same fate.
"I'm not sure anything gets him down. Every family would like to have a kid like that," Blake told Yahoo Sport Australia. "He'd be disappointed but from what I read and see of him, he'll get back to playing some good football for Cronulla and put his name forward should there be changes for game three.
"He will be fine. I don’t think this will be the last we see of him in the Origin arena. If you haven’t played Origin, you want one game. If you played one, you want two.
"If you play 10, you want 11. It's the highlight of the mid-season and it’s nice to get recognised, no matter how many games it's for."
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