Sharks halfback Nicho Hynes is speaking out ahead of Cronulla’s semi-final showdown, insisting it’s time the club received the respect it deserves. After a gutsy elimination final victory over the Roosters, Hynes and winger Ronaldo Mulitalo voiced frustration over the media’s tendency to overlook the Sharks and focus attention elsewhere.
The dynamic duo’s determination and competitive edge were on full display during the Roosters clash, where the Sharks executed one of their most impressive performances of the season. With Cronulla now boasting a 2-5 record in finals under Craig Fitzgibbon since 2022, Hynes insists their contributions are too often undervalued.
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Speaking on Monday, Hynes emphasized the team’s ongoing struggle for recognition:
“It’s just that no one ever gives us a chance,” he said. The halfback played a pivotal role alongside Braydon Trindall, combining effectively in the halves to lead Cronulla to victory.
“No one speaks about us. It’s always anyone else’s fault why we beat them or if they’re injured or their players are missing or they didn’t play well. I don’t see it all. I know some of the players talk about it, but we just worry about what we’re doing, and that’s playing finals footy.”
Hynes is not shy about confronting perceptions of Cronulla, noting that respect from outside the club has been hard-won.
“We’ve been in the finals the last four years in a row now and still no one gives us a chance, so we’re still staying quiet and staying humble because we’ve got plenty on our mind so we’re not looking in the past. It’s hard to talk about it now because we don’t want to look back or at anyone else right now, and no noise is going to affect us. We feel it and I just don’t think we ever get any respect.”
The Sharks’ approach, according to Hynes, is to focus internally rather than get distracted by external opinions.
“It is what it is. It’s everyone’s opinions, but we don’t value their opinions – we value what’s here at the club and inside our four walls. We’ll keep chipping away and fighting and doing what we can to win a premiership.”
Mulitalo, too, has voiced similar frustrations, reinforcing that the Sharks are often overlooked despite their impressive form. Cronulla enters the semi-finals as arguably the hottest team in the competition, boasting eight wins from their past nine matches following a shaky Origin period.
“We don’t really talk about it,” Hynes said of the external chatter. “It was probably more of a talking point going into the last game, but we’ll forget about it now. It may have been an internal motivation last week because everyone doesn’t give us a chance in finals footy.”
The team’s approach to motivation is highly individual, Hynes explained, acknowledging the varied reactions of his teammates to external scrutiny:
“Different individuals use different motivation to get them up for a game. Someone like Cam McInnes probably doesn’t give a sh*t what anyone says, someone like Ronnie might care, and I can sometimes be a bit of both.”
If the Sharks are to truly make a statement, eliminating the minor premiers will be essential. Cronulla is chasing back-to-back deep finals runs, aiming to replicate last year’s preliminary final performance.
“Win a comp,” Hynes said, when asked what it will take to finally earn respect. “The only thing we haven’t done the last four years since Fitzy has been here is play in a grand final. We’ve made it to a prelim and there are probably 10 or 12 other teams that haven’t played a prelim in the last three years, and there are probably eight or nine that don’t even play finals, but everyone wants to write us off. We’ve just got to win a comp. If that’s going to shut a few people up, then we’re going to have to do it. Only one team has done it in the past four years, so hopefully we’re the next.”
The message from Hynes is clear: Cronulla’s Sharks are not to be underestimated. The combination of seasoned finals experience and a siege mentality has shaped the team into a side that thrives on proving doubters wrong. While outsiders may write them off, the players remain laser-focused on their ultimate goal—lifting the NRL Telstra Premiership trophy.
As the semi-finals loom, the Sharks are ready to embrace their underdog status, turning perceived disrespect into fuel for their championship ambitions. Hynes and his teammates are united in their resolve, demonstrating that in high-stakes football, respect is earned on the field—not in the headlines.
For fans, pundits, and rivals alike, Cronulla’s message is simple: underestimate the Sharks at your own peril.
