Cronulla Sharks coach Nicho Hynes has defended star halfback Nicho Hynes again over a slow start to the season.
Hynes was routinely criticised in the lead up to the game against the Canberra Raiders on Thursday night, and that's not going anywhere after the men in black, white and blue fell short with their third loss of the season.
It leaves the Sharks on the outside of the top eight looking in early in the season, and after a slow finish to 2024 where he was outperformed by halves partner Braydon Trindall, the trend has continued into 2025.
Andrew Johns, who was one of Hynes' most vocal supporters when he first arrived at the club in 2022, has been part of the chorus of criticism directed his way, and Fitzgibbon was forced to go into bat for his star number seven following the loss to Canberra.
โHe's had it before, he will have it again. We will deal with it and move on,โ Fitzgibbon said during his post-match press conference.
โThere's more than one so we've got to stick together, the whole team needs it more than just one guy. We need to keep improving."
The coach swinging in defence of the Sharks' million-dollar man comes after club chairman Steve Mace was forced to do similar during the week.
โYou can't be a superstar all day, every day on the field. He's still a human being. People have to get off his back,โ Mace said, speaking with News Corp.
โIf it (the criticism) was said in the workplace, in another environment, or even among your peers, you'd be absolutely raked over the coals, the way some people carry on. Remember, these players are people. If Nicho was your family member, how would you feel?
โWe don't want a superstar. We want someone to do their job.
โSo if the coach is happy, then get off his back. It's that simple.โ
Fitzgibbon, who has watched his side flounder through the start of the season after their return from Las Vegas, admitted the Sharks are 'a little bit out of sorts'.
โYeah, we are just a little bit out of sorts at the moment, but definitely not in effort and attitude, I'd rather be picking up some execution rather than effort, attitude and commitment," the coach said.
He also said it was down to execution issues, rather than energy or effort problems.
โMore execution than confidence, some details we are sort of losing our way on,โ Fitzgibbon said.
โThere will be plenty of lessons out of the game, it was a terrific game and both teams were coming off a lot of travel and five day turnarounds.
โI think we were both out of gas there, and we just couldn't find a way and they found it, we had one more play to defend and get away with it.
โThey were strong tonight and kept coming and I thought it was a pretty even match in the end but execution is a little bit off at the moment.โ
Things don't get any easier next weekend, with the club set to face the Manly Sea Eagles in Perth, before they return for a double-header away from home against the Newcastle Knights and Wests Tigers.
