Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow takes on the Sharks.Credit:Getty
But he ultimately had two telling contributions in the final 10 minutes,conceding an escort penalty to allow the Dolphins to boot to a six-point lead through a Jamayne Isaako penalty,and then skewing his attempt to level the scores.
It was the first goal Hynes had missed at PointsBet Stadium all season.
“It will get exacerbated because it’s him,of course,” Fitzgibbon said. “Everyone will talk about that. It will be tough on him because he’s been prides himself on[his goal kicking] … and his numbers have been terrific all year. But I think it’s unfair to put it on a goal kick when we gave up 22 points in the first half.”
NSW coach Michael Maguire would have watched and been left up in the air as to whether Hynes is the man to help the Blues rescue the Origin series in Melbourne. Parramatta’s Mitchell Moses is closing in on the No.7 jersey.
The Sharks made a catastrophic seven errors to none against the Herbie Farnworth-inspired Dolphins in the first half but looked in control when Will Kennedy gave them the lead 12 minutes into the second half.
But having caught an accurate Hynes bomb inside his own 10 metres,Tabuai-Fidow came back to haunt his Origin rival with a mesmerising run which saw him first go backwards to evade Braydon Trindall,then bolt downfield past helpless Sharks defenders.
Kennedy had the final shot at him,but he was shrugged off and Tabuai-Fidow touched down for one of the most scintillating solo tries in the modern era.