How Nicho Hynes's Failed HIA Changed the Sharks-Roosters Semifinal
In a sudden-death final, one heavy contact can reshape the entire contest. That is what happened at Allianz Stadium when Cronulla Sharks halfback Nicho Hynes came off second-best in a tackle on Salesi Foketi and failed a head injury assessment (HIA) inside the opening 90 seconds. Nine's match coverage reported that replays showed Foketi's hip collect Hynes directly in the side of the head as he went to ground heavily. Hynes left the field and did not return.
The HIA is the NRL's concussion check. When a player fails it, he is ruled out for the rest of the match. There is no discretion once the test is failed, no matter how important the player. For the Sharks' million-dollar No. 7, playing in a semifinal, the timing could hardly have been worse.
The Roosters scored the opening try just two tackles after Hynes departed, with Lindsay Collins going over. Cronulla faced a deficit on the scoreboard and no chief playmaker to chase it down.
The Sharks did not fold. Sione Katoa crossed for a try, and Siosifa Talakai produced a stunning run to set up another, according to Nine. They fought back even while dealing with more bad news. Centre Mawene Hiroti was ruled out with a knee injury after colliding with the advertising boards, leaving Craig Fitzgibbon's side with 15 fit players for an hour.
The undermanned Sharks kept coming. But the early loss eventually told. The Roosters won 46-10. The Sydney Morning Herald described the result as the Roosters' biggest victory over the Sharks in a final in the NRL era.
The win sends the Roosters into a preliminary final against the Dolphins. It also brings a difficult end to Cameron McInnes's NRL career, with the forward leaving for the Super League next season. For Cronulla, the aftermath is about what might have been had Hynes not been knocked out in the opening minutes. A season can turn on one head knock, and in this semifinal it did.