Heading into the second week of the 2024 NRL Finals series, fans are being spoilt by the prospect of two mouth-watering games.
Saturday night sees the high scoring Roosters play the equally exciting Sea Eagles, while Friday night pits old Finals rivals the Sharks against the Cowboys.
Typically at this point in the season, injury aside, the teams pick themselves.
While I fully expect that to be the case with all four sides involved this weekend, there is one potential selection that has drawn more attention than any other.
That being of Cronulla Sharks superstar Nicho Hynes.
Quite frankly I cannot believe the vitriol and scorn the former Dally M medalist has drawn in recent weeks.
Fox Sports analyst Greg Alexander even went as far as to suggest that Hynes be overlooked due to a lack of confidence.
Looking past the utterly ridiculous notion of dropping a player supposedly short on confidence days before a must-win final, as if that could possibly help, I just cannot frame an argument for overlooking Hynes.
Yes, despite being a huge fan of the wet-haired Prince of the Shire, Hynes's performances post-Origin have not been up to his tremendous standard.
For the second straight year, Hynes hit the ground running and earned Origin selection.
Below par performances, both under farcical circumstances I must add, saw his confidence dented and him return to the Sharks a broken player.
As a Sharks fan, selfishly, I encourage Nicho Hynes to retire from rep footy ... at least for the time being.
In form or not, there is absolutely no chance Craig Fitzgibbon can even consider overlooking Hynes for one simple reason.
Hynes is their only chance to do anything in this Finals series. Their only chance!
Yes, I understand the reasoning why there are calls to make the switch.
Daniel Atkinson played exceptionally well, under duress, when called upon to play in the halves for Cronulla.
He saw them to wins over the Storm, in Melbourne no less, and Newcastle, playing both halfback and five-eighth if we're being serious.
In both games the Sharks played a power game and bashed both sides in the middle.
That, for some reason, has been abandoned, or not implemented, in recent weeks. Whether that be due to a change in direction, or simply being out muscled, I don't know.
People are so quick to offer up defences for Blayke Brailey and Braydon Trindall re the forwards being over powered and dominated, yet throw Nicho to the wolves!?
Ok sure, Hynes has not delivered a Finals victory during his run as the Sharks main man, but that rhetoric is lazy and needs context.
Hynes was the best player on the park against the Cowboys in 2022. Unfortunately no one went with him while the Cowboys had the next three best players after Hynes.
He was the Sharks best against Souths in a game, as a Sharks fan, we should have just forfeited. We were broken, busted and done. Souths walked us that evening through no fault of Hynes.
Last year Hynes dragged Cronulla to a Finals appearance they didn't otherwise deserve. He was then their best against the Roosters, but while calling for the call with a two man overlap, was ignored by Brailey who threw a hospital pass to the side's third string fullback.
Hynes cops grief for missing an easy field goal against the Bulldogs while Matt Burton is called the "ice man" for nailing a field goal.
It's worth noting that while it was Hynes only shot, Burton missed three shots earlier in the game.
Yes, Hynes should have slotted a gift field goal, but the lack of thought put into these comments by Fox Sports commentators and facebook commenters alike is downright infuriating.
Let's not forget the fact that Nicho Hynes was magnificent against Manly, all of ten days ago!
He guided them round the park, had a try assist and looked right at home.
Short memories though because the Storm forwards made the Sharks look like part timers and Hynes had one bad kick for touch.
Let me be frank. Even if the Sharks beat the Cowboys by a literal hundred points in a flawless performance, they are almost no chance of defeating Penrith the week following.
Do you know why I say "almost" no chance rather than no chance!?
Hynes is capable of winning games on his own back. He won about 12 of them back in 2022 in dragging the Sharks to second.
He won five last year by himself in lifting the Sharks to a Finals appearance many said was undeserved.
He's coming off, what could have been a career defining and season ending, injury and everyone wants to throw him to the wolves because his side let him down in a few Finals games?
Do not get me wrong, Hynes has to lift. He needs to lead the Sharks to a Finals win. He needs to justify his million dollar price tag.
He is the only hope, we as Sharks fans have in forming any kind of excitement. This year, or next.
He is the best player in the Sharks side, by a wide margin. He is a former Dally M medalist and has torn sides to shreds in the past.
For the Sharks to be any shot of upsetting the almighty Panthers, Hynes needs to be the best player on the park.
Not sitting in the stands because Greg Alexander or SharksFan123 on Twitter thinks the most unfairly targeted player in the competition should be dropped.
