Cronulla Sharks star halfback Nicho Hynes has revealed he wants to remain at the Sharks for the rest of his playing career - and after it as a head coach.
Hynes moved to the Sharks ahead of the 2022 season with a lofty weight of expectation as he took over the number seven jersey after stints playing at fullback, five-eighth, halfback and from the bench at the Melbourne Storm.
The questions surrounding the move were extreme on both Hynes and the Sharks, as well as their rookie coach Craig Fitzgibbon.
But he answered with a resounding tick of approval, winning the Dally M Medal with a record number of points as he dragged the Sharks to second spot on the table at the end of the regular season.
Hynes, who is off-contract at the end of next season, couldn't drag the Sharks past the semi-finals as the club bowed out of the race for the premiership in straight sets, but is already negotiating his next deal with the club after his return from injury against the St George Illawarra Dragons on Sunday evening.
Hynes led the Sharks to a thumping win in the local derby after a shaky start to the season in his absence, and while reports suggest he will sign a four or five-year extension, Hynes told SEN Radio that he wants to be with the Sharks both for the remainder of his playing career, and after it.
“I hope so, there's been talks, everyone's talking about it a little bit,” Hynes told SEN 1170 The Run Home.
“I just hope something happens and gets done, my manager will sort that out and the club will sort that out, so hopefully they're talking as we speak because I'd love to stay… then hopefully I'm here forever.
“Ideally I'd love to be here for the rest of my career then I'd like to go straight into coaching… Give me a 20-year contract Sharks!”
Hynes, who is rated as one of the smartest players in the game following his breakout 2022 season, said he also has ambitions to become a head coach following his career.
“Yeah I do (have ambitions to be a coach), big time, I've always said I wanted to be a coach, I just love it,” Hynes added.
“I love helping people out, I love helping young kids realise their dreams, so hopefully one day I can be a coach to hand a debut jersey, that's the ultimate (dream) for me, I'd love to do that."
While Hynes had 21 try assists in 2022 to go with 377 kicking metres per game and 83 goals, his first game of 2022 - a unanimously-voted man of the match performance in Zero Tackle's MVP race - saw him make three try assists, four offloads and run for 148 metres.
The Sharks, who sit with a two and two record after four rounds, play the New Zealand Warriors this week at home before having the bye. Things will ramp up a gear when they return, with the Sydney Roosters and North Queensland Cowboys on their list of opponents on either side of the Canterbury Bulldogs over the following three weeks.