How 'hate messages' aimed at Galvin made Hynes feel

Cronulla halfback Nicho Hynes knows how it feels to be inundated with hateful messages on social media.

So as Lachlan Galvin was bombarded with messages of the same nature throughout his heavily publicised contract saga, Hynes found himself sympathising with the young playmaker.

Hynes, 29, and Galvin, 20, will face off when the Sharks and Bulldogs clash at Accor Stadium on Saturday night.

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"I love rugby league, I love this club and I love trying to be the best version of myself," Hynes told 9News' Danny Weidler when asked about the "shooshing" gesture he made after scoring a try recently.

"I've been away from social media. I go on every now and then, but nowhere near as much as I used to, and I don't see all the hate.

"It's hard to avoid sometimes; people talk about it and people check in on me to make sure I'm OK."

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Galvin was the target of hateful social media messages amid his mid-season switch from Wests Tigers to the Bulldogs.

In fact, the former Australian Schoolboys captain was the target of stinging social media barbs from some of his own Tigers teammates, including co-captain Jarome Luai.

"I did feel for him a lot," Hynes said.

"Part of me really wanted to reach out and see if he was OK, but we had our own internal things we needed to worry about, as well.

"As a young fella, I think 19 years old [as he was at the time], going through that, and the heat, and he probably would have been getting hate messages and being told things that people shouldn't be told in those hate messages — it would have been hard for him and his family."

However, Hynes admits such messages come with the territory.

"All the best players go through it at some stage in their career," said the 2022 Dally M Medal winner.

"Nathan [Cleary] has gone through a hell of it at a certain stage, and Mitch Moses went through it at a point, and now he's matured and he's come out of it, and look at how good he plays.

"I just think that's just a key part of a role [for] a No.7 or a No.6."

Canterbury will finish the regular season in third on the ladder regardless of what happens in the final round.

The Sharks are currently fifth but could finish fourth, depending on whether they win and how other games pan out.