Blissfully content off the field, Nicho Hynes hopes his new-found peace will help lead Cronulla to an elusive second NRL premiership.
After years of enduring extraordinary levels of scrutiny, Hynes believes he has finally struck the right work-life balance as he strives to steer the Sharks to a second title - a decade after their landmark first.
Hynes won the Dally M Medal as the game's best player and took Cronulla to the top two in his first season with the club in 2022.
The ensuing years have not been so kind, with the playmaker unfairly made the scapegoat for NSW's game-one State of Origin defeat in 2024 and seemingly maligned after each and every Sharks loss.
But the 29-year-old says he has finally learnt to live with the pressures and often unfair spotlight on his performances.
"That just comes with the job and being in an NRL No.7 and being a high-profile player at a club," Hynes said when asked by AAP if he felt like a more relaxed player ahead of his milestone 100th match for Cronulla on Saturday.
"I've done a lot of work on myself and a lot of work on my performances, but also just off the field of living a happier, carefree life.
"It just comes with the nature of the beast, right? And I watch a lot of NFL and a lot of documentaries and all their best players over there cop it just as much, or probably worse."
Now engaged, Hynes believes his more settled personal life can only be beneficial for the Sharks.
"I've heard so many good quotes that stuck with me over the last couple of years that it resonates hard with me and I've just learned a lot about life and there's more important things than a game of rugby league.
"I feel like I'm a good human first and for the athlete. Obviously I want to win and I want to compete hard every single day to make sure we win, but I don't take that those divots home anymore.
"I want to be a good human first and not let 80 minutes define who I am as a person."
With four big wins and four shockers, the Sharks have been hot and cold in 2026.
Craig Fitzgibbon's eighth-placed side take on South Sydney this weekend and Hynes is more than happy to let the focus be on in-form Rabbitohs superstar Latrell Mitchell than him.
"It's a huge game. They've been playing some really good footy and obviously Latrell's on fire at the moment and they're sitting pretty in the top four," Hynes said.
"But, look, no matter the team we're coming up against, it's about putting out back-to-back performances and playing some consistent footy and us leaders really driving that.
"We have been inconsistent and it's just about finding that.
"But I feel like what we're doing at the moment in (making) back-to-back prelims, hopefully we can kick-start our year now and chase a grand final."
