Craig Fitzgibbon has dismissed talk of shifting Nicho Hynes out of the halves as the spotlight intensifies on the Cronulla Sharks star.
As the club’s highest earner, Hynes has faced scrutiny in recent months, with numerous analysts questioning whether he can reclaim his peak form.
Discussions have arisen comparing his exceptional 2022 season to his current performance, with some suggesting a switch to fullback might be what Hynes requires.
He began his first-grade journey as a fullback at the Melbourne Storm before joining Cronulla to carve out a niche as a playmaker.
After winning the Dally M Medal for the best player in the game in 2022 while playing halfback, a transition to fullback is not a route Fitzgibbon is keen to explore.
“No, he’s not playing fullback, absolutely not,” Fitzgibbon stated to the media after Sunday’s match.
“That was four or five years ago now.”
Nicho Hynes of the Sharks during a pass. Getty
Following the club’s disappointing 30-6 defeat to the Storm, Fitzgibbon acknowledged that his standout players have occasionally fallen short of expectations.
Nevertheless, he expressed optimism that his squad is on the path to improvement.
“We need to extract the best from our top players and focus on that,” he remarked.
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“Our execution was definitely lacking today, but you can’t fix everything in a week. We need to enhance the elements we value most…
“Details matter, and we need to sharpen our focus there when things aren’t clicking.
“In terms of defence and the scoreline, it did blow out, but I truly believe we’ve made significant strides.”
The Sharks will have a bye this week before facing the Dolphins in round 19.
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