Ruled out of Cronulla Sharks' final trial match against the Canterbury Bulldogs last weekend, Nicho Hynes has provided an update on his minor quadriceps injury.
While the 2022 Dally M Medallist got through the All Stars game unscathed and helped lead the Indigenous All Stars to victory, Hynes pulled up sore last week in the lead-up to their second pre-season match.
"(It was) just a little tweak of the quad," said Hynes, as he expects to be ready to fire and be fully fit for round one.
"It's just not worth risking it at the moment, so hopefully, I'll be all good to go in round one."
As the playmaker remains optimistic of overcoming the injury in time for the club's opening game, this isn't the first time he has sustained a quad injury.
Last season, he missed the opening three games due to a quad injury.
While Hynes has proven himself to be one of the elite playmakers of the competition, the Sharks have struggled in recent times to find the right player to partner him with.
Initially partnered with Matt Moylan, Braydon Trindall has emerged as Hynes' halves partner and is coming off a tremendous pre-season and showing for the Indigenous All Stars in the annual All Stars match.
Viewed as the club's long-term solution in the five-eighth role, Trindall has stepped up a level after playing 13 games last season and taking over from Matt Moylan, who has since been released from the Sharks.
"Ever since the day we went into pre-season, he's come back with the right attitude, and he's way more professional.
"I think he knows that it's his time to shine and I'm hoping he can do that and during the All Stars week he was real calm and collected and didn't even bother him that Cody (Walker) pulled out and he had to come in and he was just ready to go.
"I felt like we combined really well, and we were really organised. The team looked like it was very sync with what we were doing.
"To go off that game it's a pretty good sign to Tricky [Braydon Trindall] this year, and hopefully we combine really we."
