Dally M triumph caps gun Shark's 'tough journey'

A palpable consciousness of overcoming the likelihood surrounded Nicho Hynes arsenic helium won the 2022 Dally M Medal connected Wednesday night.

The weapon halfback capped a spectacular power from Melbourne to Cronulla by clinching the game's apical idiosyncratic honour with a record-breaking haul.

He polled 38 votes to bushed Roosters fullback James Tedesco and Dragons halfback Ben Hunt connected the game's nighttime of nights astatine Royal Randwick Racecourse.

Earlier successful the night, Hynes had claimed the Provan-Summons Medal for his stirring connection pursuing the tragic decease of Paul Green, successful which helium implored radical to dainty each time arsenic "R U OK? Day".

There was again a interaction of humanity arsenic helium reflected connected the signifier astir his rocky travel to the medal-clinching moment.

"I didn't locomotion the easiest travel to get present and had immoderate pugnacious challenges increasing up," Hynes said.

"Now I'm successful a privileged presumption to springiness backmost and hopefully power immoderate radical who person been successful my position, who are walking a pugnacious travel close now, to hopefully animate them to beryllium here, wherever we're each lasting today.

"That's our main goal, isn't it? To beryllium relation models for the adjacent generation.

"There's going to beryllium 1 time (when) we're going to beryllium retired and the adjacent procreation is going to travel through.

"So hopefully we tin assistance pave the mode for those guys and they tin beryllium lasting present 1 day, arsenic well."

Hynes' mum, who joined him for the Dally M Awards, spent astir 7 years of Hynes' puerility successful and retired of jail.

One infinitesimal helium volition ne'er hide was erstwhile his mum, who helium hadn't seen successful a agelong time, appeared astatine school. He dashed crossed the oval and jumped into her arms.

He besides has wide memories of his mum being taken distant from location successful a paddy wagon.

"My beauteous mum sitting there — I emotion you truthful much," Hynes said connected Wednesday nighttime arsenic his mum fought disconnected tears.

Hynes' shot career, likewise to his idiosyncratic life, has taken a unsmooth path.

He shone for Manly successful the under-20s and was gunning for a two-year NRL woody during the 2016 pre-season, but helium was struck down by wounded and chopped escaped by the Sea Eagles.

What followed were stints with Queensland Cup clubs Mackay and the Sunshine Coast Falcons — a clip marred by slump and suicidal thoughts.

He enactment his ft down, deciding that seeing a counsellor was a must.

Melbourne gave him his archetypal ace arsenic an NRL footballer and helium seized the opportunity, dazzling astatine fullback erstwhile Ryan Papenhuyzen was injured and connected different occasions starring arsenic a seat utility.

Having proved astatine the Storm that helium was worthy each cent arsenic an NRL footballer, his glowing signifier materialised successful a $1.8 million, three-year woody with the Sharks.

Chad Townsend departed for the Cowboys and Hynes, replacing him astatine halfback, steered the Sharks to a second-placed decorativeness connected the ladder.

MORE TO COME.