Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon says star halfback Nicho Hynes is a “good chance” of returning from calf tightness this week, but stressed he wouldn’t rush his chief playmaker just to give him another chance to impress State of Origin selectors.
Hynes missed last week’s stirring win in Melbourne but has been named for the Magic Round showdown with the Roosters on Saturday night.
“We’ve got to get through today, but I’d suggest he’s a good chance,” Fitzgibbon said.
“He got through a bit of work the other day and progressed a little more yesterday, so at this stage we’re confident, but we want to tick every box to make sure he’s fully fit before we put him out there.”
While his return would be a huge boost for the Sharks, Blues fans would also love to see Hynes back in action with the team for game one set to be announced after next week’s matches.
Hynes lived out a childhood dream last year when he made his Origin debut, but it didn’t pan out as he’d planned, with the halfback forced to come on late at centre and was then dropped for the final two games.
The former Dally M winner has roared back into contention with Nathan Cleary and Adam Reynolds unavailable for the series, while Parramatta’s Mitchell Moses hasn’t played since round 3 and is no guarantee to be back next week.
A strong performance against the Roosters would strengthen Hynes’ chances of a recall, but Fitzgibbon said the half’s health trumps any thought of simply picking him so he can impress new Blues coach Michael Maguire.
