2022 Dally M medallist, NSW Blues representative, and superstar halfback Nicho Hynes hopes to lead the Cronulla Sharks to their first premiership since 2016. However, first, he will have to get past his former team, with whom he won the 2020 NRL Premiership.
Hynes and teammate Daniel Atkinson will go head-to-head against their former teammates on Saturday afternoon as they look to get one over their friends and former teammates.
Once a former teammate of the duo, Ryan Papenhuyzen is eager to battle against them at AAMI Park, especially since the last time they played at the venue, the Sharks walked out victorious.
With everything on the line for a spot in the preliminary final, Papenhuyzen insists no love will be lost between them once they take the field.
"It's always good to come up against your old teammates - Nicho (Hynes) and Atko [Daniel Atkinson]," he said in the lead-up to the match on Saturday afternoon.
"Atko's been playing some really good footy and Nicho's had a rough couple of years but he's sort of finding his form in finals now.
"He'll definitely be hurt about all the raps they [Cronulla Sharks] have about finals time, so I know he'll want to come down and prove a point.
"But we're ready to go, and a lot of boys are really confident that we can go out there and win and put a game plan together to get the job done."
As Papenhuyzen returns to the field, backup fullback Sua Fa'alogo has been ruled out of the match and will spend a couple of weeks on the sidelines.
The youngster may not have been selected for the starting team, but Craig Bellamy has continually used him off the interchange bench. The coaching maestro opts to use two utility players, Fa'alogo and Tyran Wishart.
Fa'alogo's absence means the injury-plagued Papenhuyzen. will need to play the full 80 minutes in his return and a potential injury could derail their chances against the Sharks.
"I had a little run the other day and felt sweet... but I'm confident, the medical staff seem confident, so I should be sweet for the first week," he added.
"I had last week off so it's just managing it, getting the swelling down and making sure you feel good to run.
"But I'm confident, the medical staff seems confident so it should be sweet for the first week."
The Melbourne Storm will host the Cronulla Sharks on Saturday afternoon at AAMI Park with the winner advancing straight through to the preliminary final and move one step closer to the 2024 NRL Grand Final.
