‘Andrew Johns Left Perplexed by Nicho Hynes’ Recent Drop in Form’

Andrew Johns is bewildered by Nicho Hynes’ recent performance dip, leaving him uncertain about how coach Craig Fitzgibbon can rectify the situation.

Following the Sharks’ home defeat to the Bulldogs on Saturday night, Johns remarked that the halfback seemed to vanish during the crucial final 15 minutes.

“His confidence is really low… (Braydon) Trindall is taking care of most of the kicking duties and is emerging as the main playmaker,” Johns stated on Nine’s Sunday Footy Show.

“When it mattered most in the last 10 to 15 minutes, we hardly saw Nicho… I genuinely have no clue how to restore that confidence.”

Johns expressed a desire to see Hynes take a more proactive approach in seeking the ball.

“In critical moments, your halfback should be handling the ball a couple of times each set. I didn’t witness that,” he added.

“If you compare where he was two years ago to his current form, it’s hard to figure out how he can regain his spot among the elite players in the competition.”

Panel member Brad Fittler noted that Hynes tends to perform better when Trindall takes a more prominent role in the halves, citing the Sharks’ only try of the game as a perfect illustration.

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Johns concurred but remarked that the duo spent too much time divided on opposite flanks during the game against the Bulldogs.

Billy Slater proposed the idea of Fitzgibbon swapping the two players, a move that might enable Hynes to adopt a more dynamic, running style.

While he admitted uncertainty about how this would impact the Sharks’ overall attack, he considered it could prove to be a “positive” adjustment for Hynes.

The Sharks’ next match is against the Raiders in Canberra on Thursday night.