Cronulla halfback Nicho Hynes has declared fans should brace for an immediate response from Panther's star Nathan Cleary after last week's State of Origin disappointment. In a wide-ranging interview, Hynes opened up on the challenges facing NRL halfbacks as they navigate the pressure to perform amid extensive social media criticism. The Sharks playmaker has developed a close friendship with Cleary throughout the past few years and turned to the Penrith No.7 for advice on how to thrive under pressure last season. Cleary has borne the brunt of the criticism following the Blues' loss to Queensland in last Wednesday's State of Origin decider. The halfback responded by starring for the Panthers in Sunday's win over the Eels. It's a performance, Hynes said, that should have opposition teams concerned. "He’s a four-time premiership winner in a row, he’s tactically probably the best player in our game," Hynes said. "I think [Cam] Munster’s the best football player we’ve had for a long time in the game but Nathan’s tactically so good and Queensland just lifted the other night. "They lifted, the whole state lifted and the whole team did for Munster and it just goes like that sometimes. As a halfback, you do wear a lot of it and that just comes with being the No.7 on a rugby league team, it’s like the quarterback in the NFL. I know he strives for perfection and there are days sometimes it just doesn’t turn out. He’s going to come back better for it. "I’m scared for the competition now, how he’s going to bounce back." Cleary has been handed a rest this week and will sit out Friday's clash with the Rabbitohs, but is set to return in Round 21 with plenty of added motivation. Having borne the brunt of extensive criticism in recent years, Hynes can relate to what Cleary has endured in the past week. The Sharks playmaker experienced a rapid rise to fame in 2022 when he joined the Sharks on a lucrative contract and won the Dally M Medal. With the increased profile, however, came big expectations and the blame for Cronulla's underwhelming finals performances in 2022 and 2023 was placed on Hynes. The halfback was also criticised for his performance in last year's State of Origin opener, despite the fact NSW played 73 minutes with 12 men after Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i was sent off. The Sharks have long bristled at the conversation surrounding Hynes, with few playmakers facing as much external criticism as the 29-year-old. Despite the constant focus on his performances, the playmaker leads the league in line-break assists and has already exceeded his try assist tally from last year. Hynes readily admits the pressure got to him earlier in his career but he has now found a way to turn down the outside noise. "I don’t go on social media anymore," he said. "I’ve got a private Instagram account that I still use to check on my mates and see what they’re doing when they’re travelling. "You need your social media fix and to have some fun, you need to switch off and have a scroll. But the amount of hours I used to spend on my phone to now is crazy. "I don’t need external validation anymore. The only validation I need is people around me that I love and my teammates and coaches. I don’t need to be on there searching for things people are saying about me, negative or positive. "I’m just staying neutral, living my life. I’ve got a good life. I can go to sleep every night happy, whether we win or lose because being a good human comes first and there’s more to life than rugby league." Hynes is preparing to go face to face with one of the league's most promising halfbacks when the Sharks host Sam Walker and the Roosters on Friday night. A highly touted junior who shot to fame with a breakout rookie season, the 23-year-old endured plenty of criticism throughout a challenging 2023. Walker came out the other side with a superb 2024 campaign before it came to a shuddering halt when he tore his ACL on the eve of the finals. A thumb injury delayed his return to the field and he eventually made a successful comeback in last week's win over the Dragons. While he's largely tuned out of the discourse, Hynes still hears plenty of noise regarding his fellow playmakers. While he's largely tuned out of the discourse, Hynes still hears plenty of noise regarding his fellow playmakers. Much of it, he fears, lacks the nuance necessary to properly judge the performances of players as they navigate the ups and downs of a rugby league career. "In our game there is only one winner and at the end of the day in October only one halfback wins it every year," he said. "Nathan Cleary’s been that one. "People coming at me, are they saying every other halfback’s a failure in this competition? There’s only one person who gets to win it, one No.7 wins it every year so all of us other halfbacks are chasing that. "Are they calling Mitchell Moses a failure? I don’t think so because he’s a great player, won an Origin series last year and he hasn’t won a comp yet. "We’re still learning, we’re still trying to strive for that. I’m going to keep fighting to do that and hopefully there’s a new No.7 that wins it this year, hopefully it’s me. At the end of the day I don’t see it as failing, I see it as learning and lessons and I could be better in some areas and I feel like I’m playing some good football this year. "It’s a team sport and our team’s doing the best they can to deliver performances and we haven’t done that for the last couple of weeks. [Last week] is the right step and we’ll continue to work hard this week."