Hynes shines brightest in All-Star cast
NICHO Hynes has put aside one of the toughest weeks of his life to lead the Indigenous All Stars to a 28-24 comeback win over the Maori All Stars in Rotorua.
After claiming the Dally M medal last year, Cronulla star Hynes picked up where he left off by scoring a try and having a hand in two more in the traditional exhibition match on Saturday.
Indigenous winger Selwyn Cobbo also turned around a horror start to claim a hat-trick.
Hynes’ performance came days after his mum Julie was found guilty of knowingly supplying heroin and is facing a third stint in jail.
Hynes took his mother to the Dally M Awards last year, where he openly talked about her “tougher life” after receiving the medal.
But, despite the latest developments in his mother’s case, Hynes took the field in a game where the Indigenous side twice had to come from behind to claim victory.
On the same day it was revealed he will be fined for his public criticism of Broncos coach Kevin Walters, Cobbo may have been fearing some criticism of his own.
In the first quarter alone, Cobbo dropped a routine kick, botched an attempted grubber in the open field and then bombed a certain try from a Latrell Mitchell cutout.
But the Broncos winger turned it around to play a key role in the comeback. First his clever trap and run set up a Hynes try in the second period.
But his second effort was even better. Again he trapped a grubber at his feet before picking the ball up, fending off three defenders, and racing 95m to give his team in the lead. He later pounced on a Cody Walker grubber seven minutes later, before completing an 11-minute hattrick when he latched on to a Jack Wighton pass soon after.
In the women’s game, teenage sensation Jada Taylor’s efforts weren’t enough to prevent the Indigenous All Stars falling to the Maori side 16-12.