It was another night of finals misery for Nicho Hynes. This time it was different

Of all the weeks to not cop a head knock in the first two minutes of a match, the penultimate weekend in September would be very high on Nicho Hynes’ list.

To then watch his opposing halfback, Daly Cherry-Evans, set up a try and kickstart a thumping 46-10 Roosters win at home, only made it harder to take.

Hynes’ night lasted just 90 seconds, cut short in cruel fashion after he failed a head injury assessment following a tackle gone wrong on Cronulla’s fourth of the night.

Rightly or wrongly, Hynes is arguably the most maligned player in the NRL. For all his sharp work in the regular season – he has a 67 per cent winning record across his NRL career – he is judged on finals form and criticised for an inability to deliver the Sharks to a grand final.

What’s worse though: having a bad game or barely being able to be involved?

Both are awful propositions for professional athletes who obsess over success, but the latter was Hynes’ sad reality as he stared blankly towards the Allianz Stadium turf from the bench during the first half.

Not because of the sore head from a tackle gone wrong with Salesi Foketi. But because he was left wondering whether this was going to be the anticlimactic end to another season as the Sharks’ marquee million-dollar man.

Hynes’ finals record is quickly wheeled out whenever Cronulla stumble in September – four wins from 10 matches as a starting halfback since 2022 – but Saturday’s match should barely count against him.

Cameras panned to Hynes at half-time, with his side trailing 18-10, and he looked understandably glum.

It brought back memories of the day Wallabies star Matt Giteau was pulled off 25 minutes into the 2015 World Cup final, a match Australia went on to lose 34-17 to the All Blacks. It was Giteau’s last chance to lift the Webb Ellis Cup.

Giteau gave his coach that day, Michael Cheika, a gobful in the sheds at half-time.

On Saturday, Cheika sat in the Roosters’ coaching box alongside Trent Robinson, knowing full well the significance of Hynes’ absence as the Roosters powered towards a preliminary final against the Dolphins next Friday.

If there is a silver lining for Hynes, as insignificant as it may feel, at least he won’t be blamed for the Sharks’ failure to make a third preliminary final in as many years.

He has grown tired of the narrative that dogs him, but that comes with the territory when you are the million-dollar halfback at a club desperate to turn consistency into a premiership.