Each week we will do a deep dive into a player that had a strong performance in the previous round. The player may not have had the top score of the weekend but a solid outing nonetheless. I’ll look to cover the previous rounds performance, outlook for the season ahead, outlook for 2024 and beyond and my recommendation for this player. Let us know your thoughts on who we have down below on all of our social channels: twitter, facebook, instagram, discord.
Player of the Week
Player Name: Nicho Hynes Age: 26 Club: Cronulla Sharks Position: Five-Eighth Round 4 Score: 107 2023 Ave Score: 107 2023 Positional Rank: 1st 2023 Overall Rank: 1st
Round 4 Performance
Nico started this season by having a blinder against the Dragons. The Sharks are a far better team with Hynes steering them around the field and now look like the team we saw in 2022. He featured heavily in attack with five line break assists, three try assists, three tackle breaks and four offloads. On top of these attacking stats he accumulated 45 points in base, and this is good for a HLF.
2023 Outlook
It appears that Nico has carried his 2022 form into this season, and this is great for us fantasy coaches. After missing the opening three rounds due to a calf injury, Hynes didn’t seem to miss a beat on Sunday. With Nico having a hand in almost everything that the Sharks do, we may see him ton up again this season. To begin the season, I had Nico projected to rank 1st in the HLF position and after this weekend’s performance, he remains my top HLF in my projections. I will go one step further and add that he is also my number one ranked player overall for 2023.
GDS Dynasty Ranking
At only 26 years old, hopefully there are many seasons left in the NRL for Hynes. If he stays injury free, hopefully we will see him retain his elite status in fantasy. He is on contract with the Sharks until the end of 2024 and I think we will continue to see great things from Hynes over the next 18 months. I haven’t heard anything regarding any furture contract, but I assume the Sharks will be doing all that they can to retain Hynes’s signature for 2025 and beyond.
JT’s Call
This is the fifth season of first grade for Nico but he has only made 62 appearances. This is because he only became a starter for the Storm in 2021. Remember that this is only his second season in the halves and his second year at the Sharks. We may see him eclipse his 2022 fantasy production this season with him now having experience in the halves. He is one of the best players in the NRL and this was shown in 2022 when he won the prestigious Dally M Medal for the Best and Fairest player in the NRL.
I am confident he will be one of the top two halves in fantasy again this season. Having him in your side provides you with a very reliable scorer that offers a huge ceiling. Nico should be able to provide between 40-50 points in base every week and with his attacking upside, he may help your team fly up the leaderboard. Like Cleary, Hynes tends to be matchup proof and I would find it extremely hard to put him on my bench against any opposition.
After last night’s performance, I feel like Hynes will be competing for the Dally M Medal again this season. If you have his card already, well done. If you don’t, I would be doing what I could to acquire it as soon as possible. This would be a play for this season and your squad’s future.