'Taught me a lot': Hynes embracing blockbuster halves battle
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A close friendship will be put to the side when star playmakers Nicho Hynes and Daly Cherry-Evans go head-to-head in Saturday night's blockbuster semi-final.
Two of the biggest names in the game, the battle of the halfbacks will go a long way to determining the winner of the sudden-death clash at Allianz Stadium.
A Sea Eagles junior, Hynes first crossed paths with Cherry-Evans more than a decade ago when he spent a summer training alongside the Manly senior squad.
Nicho in the tries
It wasn't until they were representative teammates that they formed a close bond, with Hynes crediting the Roosters halfback for helping him handle the pressure of life in the No.7 jumper.
"I spent one pre-season with him," Hynes said. "When you're going through the grades and you get to watch people, how they go about their business, they're mannerisms and the way they speak. That's what I learned the most.
"I didn't get to develop a great relationship at the time because I was so young and didn't get to experience too much with him. As I've gotten older and experienced an Aussie tour with him, I've got heaps closer to him.
"I've rung him for advice over the last couple of years. He's a great guy and I really valued my time with Chez in that Aussie camp and the Prime Minister's XIII we played in together.
"He's a great guy, been there and done it all before so he'll be coming out firing this week."
Match: Roosters v Sharks
Finals Week 2 -
home Team
Roosters
4th Position
away Team
Sharks
5th Position
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
A well-paid halfback and former Dally M Medal winner, Hynes has spent much of his time at Cronulla in the spotlight.
The playmaker is often the first to be blamed when the Sharks lose and was heavily criticised for his finals record in his first couple of years with the club.
Results on the field have helped silence the critics but Hynes remains under plenty of pressure to deliver a win this weekend.
Nicho calls on Sharks faithful to pack the stands
It's a position Cherry-Evans has learned to live with throughout a decorated 16-year career and he's passed on plenty of advice to his fellow halfback.
"We've talked about how to deal with certain things, how to speak as a leader and dealing with outside noise," Hynes said. "How to deal with things that go on in day-to-day life as a rugby league player.
"He's copped his fair share of criticism in his career, whether it was warranted or not. Some things I don't believe were warranted but he's taught me a lot and I appreciate that."
Hynes is out to lead the Sharks to a third-straight preliminary final, with the winner of Saturday's match to take on the Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium next Friday night.
Nicholas Hynes Try
Cherry-Evans' advice has helped the playmaker enjoy his best season in years. The halfback has 23 try assists and 25 linebreak assists in 2026 as he has developed into a more well-rounded halfback.
Hynes' combination with five-eighth Braydon Trindall continues to flourish and he clearly benefited from his halves partner's return from a shoulder injury last weekend.
Cherry-Evans has also starred since joining the Roosters at the start of the year and has taken over the primary playmaking duties after Sam Walker went down with an ankle injury in Round 26.
Daly Cherry-Evans celebrates milestone game in style
The 37-year-old continues to boast one of the best long kicking games in the competition and will be desperate to make amends for last week's missed field goal in the loss to Penrith.
Saturday's match could be Cherry-Evans' final game in the NRL, the halfback to join Hull FC in England next season.
That, according to Hynes, makes the veteran even more dangerous and the Sharks will be on high alert throughout the contest.
"He's so calm and clear," Hynes said. "He seems like he has a lot of time and nothing seems to faze him if it goes wrong.
"His kicking game's great and he's been around the ball a bit more this year. He's getting older but he's still a threat and you saw some of the early kicks he was doing [last week]. We've got to be aware of those and he'll be looking to do that again."
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