'Didn't see him': Andrew Johns baffled by Nicho Hynes' latest form slump
Andrew Johns has been left baffled by Nicho Hynes' latest form slump, and is at a loss as to how coach Craig Fitzgibbon can find a solution.
Johns said the halfback went missing in the final 15 minutes of the Sharks' loss to the Bulldogs at home on Saturday night.
"He's just so low on confidence ... (Braydon) Trindall is doing pretty much all the kicking, and he's the dominant playmaker," Johns said on Nine's Sunday Footy Show.
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"When the game was on the line, sort of didn't see Nicho the last 10 to 15 minutes ... I really have no idea how to rebuild it."
Johns said he'd like to see Hynes make more of an effort to get his hands on the ball.
Nicho Hynes had a quiet back-end of the Sharks' clash against the Bulldogs. NRL Photos
"When the game is on the line, you want your halfback handling the ball two or three times a set. I didn't see that," he said.
"Compare a couple of years ago ... to where he is now, I don't know how you build back up to when he was the best player in the comp."
Fellow panellist Brad Fittler said Hynes was capable of playing well when Trindall plays a more active halves role, and pointed to the Sharks' only try of the night as an example.
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Johns agreed, but said the pair spent too much time on opposite sides of the field against the Bulldogs.
Billy Slater suggested an option could be for Fitzgibbon to swap the pair, which would free up Hynes to play more of a running role.
He conceded he wasn't sure how much it would change the Sharks' attack, but it could be a "positive" change for Hynes.
Cronulla next play the Raiders in Canberra on Thursday night.
