NRL star Nicho Hynes returned to the NSW Central Coast, the place where his rugby league journey began, to be honored with a mural at his junior club, the Umina Bunnies. The Cronulla Sharks halfback described the mural on the clubhouse as a humbling experience.
“I’m very grateful to be here and see my face on the wall and a young photo of me as well,” Hynes said. “[It] brings back a lot of memories and a fair bit of emotion. I was a little kid, like some of the kids here running around right now, kicking the footy, and wanting to be in the stage I’m in.”
The mural, which also features an image of Hynes as a boy, was unveiled amidst admiration from junior fans and adults alike. Hynes engaged with the crowd, taking selfies and signing autographs, embodying the role model status he has embraced since his rise in professional rugby league.
From Local Hero to National Star
Hynes made his first-grade debut for the Melbourne Storm in 2019 before joining Cronulla in 2022, where he was awarded the Dally M as the NRL’s player of the season. He has also represented New South Wales in State of Origin and played for Australia, solidifying his status as one of rugby league’s most prominent figures.
Despite the expectations that come with his success, Hynes remains grounded. “I know what sort of human I am, and I know how I want to live day to day … and I think that’s a pretty good person,” he said.
Championing Youth Mental Health
During his visit, Hynes also participated in a mental health workshop with teenage players from the Umina Bunnies. “I know a lot of people go through struggles and tough times, but you can come out of it,” he shared. “I feel like I’m someone who has walked through some tough things in life and I’ve been able to come out the other side with hard work and dedication.“
Hynes has been an ambassador with the Find Ya Feet program for five years, a role he believes is transformative for young people. “All these kids get around each other, love each other, whether they’ve felt like they’ve been bullied before and there’s people in the room that have bullied them, they get up and apologise,” he said. “It’s a really incredible situation to be in.”
Inspiring the Next Generation
Marshall Michie, a 17-year-old player from the Bunnies, expressed how Hynes’s journey from Umina to NRL stardom serves as an inspiration. “It’s amazing to have Nicho as a role model,” Michie said. “It’s great to see people get out and do their thing and chase their dreams … you saw Nicho succeed his dreams and it shows lots of the younger kids around here that they can do the same no matter what.“
Michie highlighted the importance of mental health awareness in the community, noting, “There’s lots of mental health issues in the area and having Nicho here … it’s just great.” He also shared how his parents have encouraged open discussions about mental health, a practice he continues with his peers.
Equipping Youth with Tools for Mental Health
Find Ya Feet founder Tommy Herschell, who developed the workshops, aims to equip young people with tools to speak up and support peers in need. “I’m a school teacher by trade and I’m a big believer in getting young people talking from a young age about their mental health,” Herschell said.
He emphasized the importance of creating a platform for storytelling and listening. “The beauty of having someone like Nicho [involved] is that they [the teenagers] want to pass like him and kick like him in the backyard but my goal is for them to want to talk like him, act like him and be open and vulnerable like him,” Herschell explained.
Looking forward, Herschell hopes for a future where such workshops are no longer necessary because prioritizing mental health has become a societal norm.
The impact of Hynes’s involvement in mental health advocacy, combined with his athletic achievements, continues to resonate with young athletes and the broader community, setting a powerful example of leadership both on and off the field.
