'Definitely up for it': Holmes backs Hynes to make Origin leap

In the best interests of the Maroons, Valentine Holmes would prefer to take on the Blues without an in-form Nicho Hynes but believes the Sharks star is well and truly ready for the State of Origin cauldron.

Scoring 20 points - eight goals and a try – and producing a grass-cutter tackle on the line for a man-of-the-match performance in Thursday night’s 44-6 demolition over North Queensland, Hynes once again showed why his case to be a Blues playmaker is becoming too hard to ignore.

And now Holmes faces the prospect of going head-to-head with the Sharks halfback again in Origin I on May 31.

“I feel like he’d probably thrive in that Origin environment. Especially having good players around him, it would take his game to another level,” Holmes told pan66.com following Thursday night’s match.

“He’s definitely up for it. We know what he did last year, he got the Dally M and now after his first few games this year, he should be a look-in for somewhere on the park.

“But hopefully they don’t pick him,’ Holmes joked.

A star centre who has 11 tries in his 13 Origin games for the Maroons, Holmes said Hynes' confidence to the rest of his team was a quality that would thrive on the representative stage and one that the Cowboys failed to handle on the night.

Orchestrating his side’s attack brilliantly and terrorising the Cowboys with his kicking game, Hynes proved the difference as Todd Payten’s side was left still chasing back-to-back wins for the first time this season.

“He’s got a pretty good head on his shoulders, he was at Melbourne for a few years and learnt from the best there,” Holmes said.

“I think he’s in fine form. He just gives his team a lot of confidence when he’s out there, when he’s running the ball and taking short sides on. He played well tonight. He kicked well, put us in corners and it’s hard to get out of there.

“We knew that was going to happen, we talked it up. But when they’re playing with that speed and confidence it’s hard to stop that.”

The Cronulla playmaker played down ant potential selection talks following the match, revealing the only discussion worth having is one with Blues coach Brad Fittler when the NSW Origin squad is selected on May 21.

“It’s hard to not see it, it’s all over everything at the moment. It’s all everyone wants to talk about but I’m kind of over it to be honest,” Hynes told pan66.com.

“I haven’t even played one Origin game yet and I don’t have a right to talk about it until I play. I just want to control what I can control and what I can control is playing good footy for the Sharks.

“It’s just Sharks at the moment. If Freddy calls me and says that I’m in the team that’s when I’ll start worrying about that.”

Awarded the inaugural Paul Green Medal as man-of-the-match, the Cronulla playmaker donated the medal and a special No. 7 jersey to Green’s children following the game.

“He was an important part of this club and the Cowboys club so I’m just really glad that we could put on a good performance tonight for him and his family,” Hynes said.

“I want to honour everyone who has worn the No. 7 jersey at this club.

"Especially tonight, I wasn’t thinking about it consciously but now the game has finished, and getting to perform the way I did, it’s just really cool that we got to wear the same jersey as he once did.”