Shark of many talents: Why Hynes is most complete player in NRL

When Cronulla signed Nicholas Hynes for 2022 and beyond midway through the 2021 season, the Sharks knew they were getting a quality player.

Whether they knew just how influential and effective he would turn out to be in a still developing team whilst adjusting to life in Sydney is questionable.

Statistically, Hynes is top of the NRL pops, with the broad array of areas in which he is competent and/or excelling, making him the fundamental driver behind the Sharks’ newfound success. The data also mounts a case for Hynes as arguably the most rounded and efficient player in the competition.

Many NRL fans dislike the sometimes overemphasis placed on statistics and there are obviously intangibles near impossible to measure that also play key roles in deciding who wins and who loses, yet Hynes’ numbers are astonishing in their consistency and breadth.

The Gosford-born halfback leads the NRL in line break assists with 18, and also sits inside the top 20 for try assists with 11 heading into Saturday night’s trip to Tamworth to take on the Tigers.

Many of those efforts are a direct result of his preparedness to attack and engage the line, a statistic where he sits third behind Wests Tigers’ Jackson Hastings and Ben Hunt at the Dragons.

The often underrated importance of halves attacking the line is obviously a foundational building block of Hynes’ game. He sits fifth overall in the ‘all runs’ category and clocks up an average of 123 metres per game, slotting in at 37th on the official NRL metric.

Once the line has been engaged, Hynes continues to excel.

Thirty-four offloads place him fourth in the NRL, and despite not sharing the same physical attributes of destructive runners such as Moses Suli, Siosifa Talakai and Haumole Olakau’atu, Hynes has broken 52 tackles in 2022, placing him 46th and inside the top 50 of yet another statistical category.

(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

The ball in hand numbers might be enough for most coaches to rate Hynes as a key player and attacking threat, yet kicking the football effectively adds to his value.

With 7271 kicking metres he ranks seventh in the NRL, and as the profile of a player so obviously threatening with the ball becomes fully painted, many might expect the defensive deficiencies seen in other halves to also be evident in the Sharks’ main man.

However, Hynes handles himself well without the ball, no doubt bringing the defensive grit and efficiency ingrained in him during his time in Melbourne under Craig Bellamy.

With a tackle efficiency of 92.7 per cent, Hynes compares well with teammate and the NRL’s most prolific tackler Blayke Brailey, who completes his defensive work at 94.9 per cent.

Like-for-like tackle comparisons with Mitchell Moses (82.8) Nathan Cleary (85.3) and Sam Walker (82.1) reveal more evidence of a Cronulla halfback without the defensive weaknesses that are completely understandable from players whose main purpose is to create points and attacking opportunities.

Hynes generally shows composure and disciple, as evidenced by his position well outside the top 50 when it comes to penalties conceded, with perhaps the 22 errors made across the season thus far the only statistic with which the player himself would be disappointed.

Throw in the more cosmetic point scoring numbers, sixth in the NRL (134) and an NRL-topping four field goals, and Cronulla must be absolutely chuffed with the ‘package’ they have brought to the club.

When Dally M voting went behind closed doors after Round 12, Hynes sat third. The NRL Fantasy competition has him as clear leader heading into the final month of the season and Supercoach data rates Hynes as the best half in the game.

If you were looking to mount an argument that Nicho Hynes is the best in the business, all of the above does so in spades. However, there is something a little less flashy and showy about the way he goes about his work.

Cameron Munster and James Tedesco have an X-factor quality that the Cronulla star does not.

Yet, statistically, he may well have them both covered when it comes to being a more rounded and effective player.

In fact, he might actually have every single NRL player covered in 2022, whether he wins the Dally M Medal or not.