Cronulla Sharks star Nicho Hynes free to play in NRL final against Sydney Roosters

Sharks star Nicho Hynes is now free to take on the Sydney Roosters in Cronulla’s sudden-death final after the NRL sensationally backflipped on his hip-drop tackle charge.

Hynes was facing a one-match ban, but on Monday the NRL released a statement saying the medical evidence regarding the injury to Bulldogs winger Marcelo Montoya had changed.

Hynes will now just be fined $1000, with his charge downgraded from a grade two dangerous contact charge to a grade one dangerous contact charge.

The NRL’s match review committee had taken a preliminary medical report into account, which at the time suggested Montoya suffered a high-grade syndesmosis tear.

But Canterbury received good news on the injury front on Monday, with the winger a chance to play again in the finals with the injury only a low-grade sprain.

That prompted the NRL to analyse their charge, with the match review turning it to a gradeone before Hynes even decided whether to fight the ban.

“The Match Review Committee remains satisfied that there is sufficient evidence to justify a charge for the offence of Dangerous Contact against Nicho Hynes,” the NRL said.

“When initially ascribing a grading to that offence, the MRC considered the contents of a Medical Report provided by the injured player’s Club which offered preliminary details as to the nature and extent of the injury.

“Subsequently, the Match Review Committee has received a further report which materially alters the nature and extent of the injury suffered by the player.

“Following due consideration of this Report, the Match Review Committee has reviewed the charge against Nicho Hynes and in accordance with the Judiciary Code, has forwarded the player an amended Notice of Charge for the offence of Dangerous Contact (Grade 1).

Cronulla had faced the agonising decision of whether to challenge Hynes’ ban earlier on Monday, after he was placed in report late in the win over the Bulldogs.

An early guilty plea would have left the Sharks without their most dynamic player for the biggest game of the season, with Dan Atkinson likely to come into the halves.

However if they had taken the case to the NRL judiciary and lost, the halfback would have also been ruled out of Cronulla’s week-two final if they progressed.

Overturning charges at the judiciary has proven particularly rare and difficult this season.

Of the 249 charges handed down over the first 26 rounds of the season, only 12 were challenged.

Three players were found not guilty, one had their charge downgraded to avoid a ban and eight others were found guilty by the panel.

With AAP