‘I’m just very relieved’: Hynes hails NRL backtrack over hip drop charge

Cronulla’s million-dollar halfback Nicho Hynes has praised the NRL’s “common sense” decision to downgrade his hip-drop charge which leaves him free him to play in Saturday’s sudden-death finals clash with the Roosters.

Hynes was initially issued a grade two dangerous contact charge by the Match Review Committee for his hip-drop tackle on Marcelo Montoya, and was set to challenge his one to two week ban at the judiciary on Tuesday night.

The NRL’s initial charge was based on a Bulldogs medical report provided to the governing body that expressed preliminary fears Montoya had suffered a high-grade syndesmosis injury in the Hynes tackle.

But Canterbury doctor Peter Lorentzos wrote to the NRL advising that scan results late on Sunday returned far more positive news after it was feared Montoya’s injury “would likely require surgery and be season-ending.”

“Scans today [Sunday] indicate a more minor injury, with a low-grade ankle ligament sprain, capsular strain and joint effusion [swelling].”

Based on match review committee procedure, Montoya’s initial injury diagnosis had been taken into account once Hynes’s actions had been deemed careless. But in a rare about-face on Monday, the NRL said Lorentzos’s report “materially [altered] the nature and extent of the injury suffered by the player.

“Following due consideration of this report, the Match Review Committee has reviewed the charge against Nicho Hynes and in accordance with the judiciary code, has forwarded the player an amended notice of charge for the offence of dangerous contact (grade 1).”

Hynes will now be free to play against the Roosters with an early guilty plea and $1000 fine after a sleepless Sunday night as Cronulla prepared to challenge his charge at the judiciary.

Canterbury do not expect Montoya to be available for their first finals clash against Melbourne, but there is hope he will be able to play again this season.

Hynes said he was shocked when the NRL charged him on Sunday morning and had not realised he had been accused of a hip-drop given it was his knee that made contact with Montoya’s ankle.

“I have been involved in tackles before where you are close to one, and you go, ‘I better hold off because it might be a hip-drop’,” he said.

“I just felt like I was making a cover tackle around the legs and obviously the momentum of me maybe swung me around a little bit. After the game I didn’t think I had anything to worry about ... I’m just very relieved and excited to play now.”

Sharks chief executive Dino Mezzatesta thanked the Bulldogs and Lorentzos for going out of their way to help Hynes and joked that he is still expecting a bill from lawyer Nick Ghabar, who had been ready to front Cronulla’s judicial challenge on Tuesday.

“The process has worked out as it should, and credit where it’s due to the Match Review Committee and Canterbury for swinging into action once more information came to light on [Montoya’s] injury,” Mezzatesta said.

“Obviously those initial fears of a season-ending injury and surgery were valid based on the information they had at the time. So we thank the Bulldogs and their doctor for making the right call and raising the new medical report.

“It’s huge for us, as obviously Nicho’s a very influential player, and the week can begin without a new halves combination being worked on. We can now get on with the week, and we’re glad the NRL was able to work through this today.”

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