Nicho Hynes' Cronulla teammates have rallied around their halfback as he prepares to prove he deserves to remain in the NSW Origin team.
The 27-year-old was below his best in last week's State of Origin opener as a 12-man Blues side fell to Queensland at Accor Stadium.
The performance has raised plenty of questions over Hynes' future in the NSW side, with Mitchell Moses rocketing into contention after returning from a foot injury.
Sharks teammates, however, have backed their halfback to prove he belongs in the Origin arena in Thursday's clash with the Dolphins.
"He's good, he's happy, he's buzzing, he's confident, it's the same old Nicho," Tom Hazelton said. "He's had a bit of time to get over [Origin], rest his calf and he came in buzzing this week.
"We're looking forward to having him back on Thursday night for the Sharks and I'm sure we're going to get the best out of him.
"When he's at his best, hr's kicking us into good positions and defending well. He's been doing that all year for us and we love him for that."
Blues v Maroons – Game 1, 2024
Hynes' selection for the Origin opener game despite a disastrous round 12 loss to the Panthers that saw the halfback exit the game with a calf injury.
The issue hampered his preparation with the Blues and saw him miss Cronulla's 22-12 win over the Broncos on Saturday.
Sharks officials are confident Hynes has fully recovered from the injury and he trained freely with the team on Tuesday.
If he is dropped for Origin II, it would mark the second-straight year the halfback has been discarded by the Blues after one game.
While there is plenty of pressure on Hynes to prove to NSW coach Michael Maguire he doesn't deserve to suffer the same fate, you wouldn't know it from his interactions at the Sharks' Woolooware base.
"He's always been a pretty positive person," Cronulla teammate Blayke Brailey said. "He's back playing pranks, making jokes, laughing in the sheds. He's such a great character for our side.
"He makes connections massive and it's great to have him back and put on a Sharks jersey again this week."
Hynes will combine with Braydon Trindall in the halves on Thursday night for the first time since round seven.
Trindall missed five games after he was arrested for driving under the influence, with his return coinciding with Hynes' Origin selection.
Match: Sharks v Dolphins
Round 15 -
home Team
Sharks
3rd Position
away Team
Dolphins
5th Position
Venue: PointsBet Stadium, Sydney
This week is the first time all three of coach Craig Fitzgibbon's top halves are available, with Trindall edging Daniel Atkinson for the No.6 jumper.
While it's been a difficult couple of months for Trindall, Brailey said he's learnt some hard lessons from the experience.
"He went through a tough stage there," Brailey said. "He had a lot of people in the club to lean on and help him in that period.
"He learnt from that and he's enjoying his footy now. He's not taking it for granted or just rocking up each day. He's such a bubbly, out-there character, it's great to see him in our side and our group and hopefully he has a great career for the Sharks."
