EXCLUSIVE: Sharks Star Nicho Hynes Unfazed by Laurie Daley’s Blues Meet-and-Greet Oversight

Nicho Hynes has expressed that he is “not concerned” about missing out on an invitation to a recent meet-and-greet with 28 NSW Blues players. Instead, he is focusing on ensuring the Sharks are genuine contenders for the title this season, rather than worrying about securing a sky-blue jersey.

Hynes also revealed that NSW coach Laurie Daley has not reached out to him regarding his omission from the gathering, which included players like Nathan Cleary, Jarome Luai, Mitchell Moses, Tom Trbojevic, and Liam Martin, who spent Saturday afternoon strategising for the 2025 series in Brighton-Le-Sands.

“No, I haven’t had a chat with him [Daley], and I’m not concerned about it,” Hynes told Wide World of Sports on Wednesday.

When questioned about his aspirations to reclaim a Blues jersey, the playmaker shifted the focus away from State of Origin discussions.

“I just want to let my performance speak for itself this year,” said Hynes.

“I’m in a good place. My main priority is to ensure the Sharks are in a position to contest for a premiership, and that’s what matters most to me… I just want to play footy and be a happy bloke.

“If opportunities arise from that, then great. If not, that’s how it goes… It’s beyond my control. They didn’t want me there; I’m not there. If they had wanted me there, I’d be there. I’m a realist, and that’s just how it is.”

He added about Daley, “If he wanted to have a conversation with me about not being invited to the meet-and-greet, he could have done so.”

Daley addressed the speculation, clarifying that being excluded from the meet-and-greet does not eliminate a player’s chances of representing the Blues this year.

“Nothing is set in stone at this point; it’s too early. We could easily choose a player who wasn’t part of this 28, because in reality, we could name a squad of 50 players,” Daley stated, according to News Corp.

“Last year, there were several players who weren’t initially included in the squad but went on to play during the series. I can name three examples—Mitch Barnett, Connor Watson and Angus Crichton—who all ended up making the team despite not being part of the original squad.

“If you’re playing well, you’ll be in the mix.”

Wide World of Sports reached out to the NSWRL for their comments.

Hynes’ State of Origin journey began poorly in game one of the 2023 series, where he was given just 12 minutes at right centre off the bench by then-coach Brad Fittler. Hynes was involved in a pivotal moment, missing a tackle on Cameron Munster that allowed Queensland to score, culminating in an astonishing comeback win for the Maroons.

In the only other Origin match he has played, Hynes wore the No.7 jersey in the opening game of the 2024 series, where the Blues suffered a heavy 38-10 defeat. His kicking and leadership during that game drew further waves of criticism.

Hynes claimed the prestigious Dally M Medal in 2022, his debut season with the Sharks, and guided Cronulla to the preliminary finals last year.

However, the former Storm star, who will turn 29 in June, still needs to replicate his outstanding NRL performances at the Origin level.

The current NSW halves are Luai and Moses, who led the Blues to a series victory last year in the decider held on enemy territory. However, Cleary is likely to reclaim the No.7 jersey for this year’s series, provided he is fit.

Hynes found a bright side in being overlooked for the NSW gathering.

“I was able to train with the Sharks [on Saturday],” he said.

“We had a productive training session [at Shark Park].

“Nothing can diminish my happiness or my excitement to play for the Sharks.”

Hynes was not selected in the Sharks’ squad for the pre-season clash against the Warriors on Friday night at Shark Park, but he clarified to Wide World of Sports that it was not due to injury; rather, coach Craig Fitzgibbon wanted to give some game time to Cronulla’s younger playmakers.

Daniel Atkinson and Niwhai Puru will feature as five-eighth and halfback, respectively.