Cronulla are set to be without Nicho Hynes for next week’s NRL finals clash against the Roosters after he was handed a one-game ban for a hip-drop tackle in Saturday night’s win over the Bulldogs. Canterbury have their own concerns heading into the playoffs after suffering a double injury blow in the worrying 24-6 loss to the Sharks.
Dogs coach Cameron Ciraldo is doing his best to play down Canterbury’s latest scrappy display. But he has some major issues to figure out before the Bulldogs travel to Melbourne to face the Storm in their qualifying final on Friday night. The first major concern centres around Bronson Xerri and Marcelo Montoya, who will both be missing after copping injuries.
Nicho Hynes found himself in hot water for a hip-drop tackle on Bulldogs winger Marcelo Montoya during Cronulla’s NRL round 27 win. Pic: Getty/Fox League
Xerri went off early with a category one head knock that’s triggered an automatic 11-day stand down. He’ll return for week two or three of the finals – depending on the result against the Storm. But the news is not as good for Montoya, whose season appears to be over after he limped off and left the ground on crutches due to an ankle injury suffered in the tackle from Hynes.
It wasn’t a traditional hip-drop from Hynes, whose knee came down on top of Montoya’s foot and caused his ankle to twist awkwardly. But NRL great Cooper Cronk pointed out that Hynes left his feet to make the tackle and predicted a ban would be forthcoming from the match review committee. Braith Anasta also described it as a ‘dangerous’ act from the Cronulla playmaker.
BREAKING: Sharks half Nicho Hynes has been charged with a Grade 2 Dangerous Contact offence for his contentious tackle on Marcelo Montoya.
He will miss a week with an early plea but given what is on the line, the Sharks will certainly fight it.
— The League Scene (@LeagueScenePod) September 7, 2025
“If you think about what a typical hip-drop is, it’s losing your legs and your hip dropping on the back of the legs,” Cronk told Fox League. “He loses his legs here Nicho Hynes, but it’s actually his knee that does the damage to the ankle… his knee comes through and twists that ankle.”
Anasta says the injury to Montoya would almost certainly come into consideration for the sanction against Hynes. And on Sunday, the MRC decided to hand Hynes a one-game ban for grade 2 dangerous contact, which the Sharks will almost certainly choose to fight at the judiciary with their season on the line.
“The concern Nicho Hynes has here, you can see he lands right on the back ankle… it’s dangerous,” Anasta said. “It’s an accident… it is hard, but the injury does come into play. It looks like (Montoya’s) season could be over, and that does come into play with suspensions like this.”
The Sharks host the red-hot Roosters in next weekend’s elimination final and the loss of Hynes is a devastating blow to their premiership hopes. The incident soured what was otherwise a thoroughly impressive display from Craig Fitzgibbon’s men, who blunted the Dogs’ attack with brutal defence and set up the 18-point win with an almost flawless three-try first half.
The Cronulla Sharks warmed up for the NRL finals with an impressive final round victory over the Bulldogs. Pic: Getty
Bulldogs facing backline reshuffle after double injury blow
The Bulldogs have far more issues to contend with, but could be given a major boost with Jacob Kiraz edging closer to a return from a foot sprain. Jethro Rinakama is line to replace Montoya on the wing after impressing earlier in the season. While Xerri’s absence could spark a backline reshuffle that sees Matt Burton shifted to centre and forgotten man Toby Sexton return to the halves to partner Lachie Galvin.
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Canterbury were on top of the ladder earlier in the season when Sexton was their starting half. But their attack has appeared disjointed since he was dumped after Galvin’s arrival, with the Dogs slumping to a 6-7 record after their flying start. Ciraldo is unconcerned about their patchy late-season form though, and insists finals footy is a different beast.
“It’s a totally different game once you get to finals,” Ciraldo said. “There is a lot more ball in play, there are a lot less stoppages. Our game will be much more suited to it than the games in the past two weeks.”
with AAP