Melbourne Storm utility Nicho Hynes has revealed he may need to leave the club if he's to have any chance at becoming an NRL starter.
Hynes, who's off-contract at the end of the year, has been thurst into Melbourne's starting line-up on five occasions this season.
A regular off the Storm's interchange, the 24-year-old has been forced to cover for playmaker Cameron Munster and fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen, with the pair impacted by injuries this season.
Coming off a starring performance on Sunday that included two linebreaks and two try assists during Melbourne's win over the Dragons, Hynes, who's been linked with a move to the Broncos in recent weeks, revealed he will sit down with Storm before he makes up his mind on his plans for 2021 and beyond.
"I am sure I will sit down with them [Melbourne] over the next couple of weeks," Hynes said.
"There have not been any offers on the table, I can't make a decision until there is.
"At the moment it is just discussions at the moment. It has been well known that the Broncos [are interested].
"I have seen on social media that I am going there [Broncos] but there has been no real offer so I will see what happens there and I will make my mind up.
"There has been discussions but my manager hasn't come to me and said this is what they want to offer you."
Hynes conceded it "would be hard to leave" the Storm, but said it was important he chased his goal to become a top 13 player in the NRL.
"I pinch myself every day. I get to live my dream with this club who have given everything to me and made me the player that I am," he said.
"It's unfortunate sometimes I have to fill in for injuries but I have been pretty vocal that I want to be a starter.
"Whether it is with this club or it might have to be somewhere else, we will just have to wait and see.
"It's good that I have been able to play a fair few games in a row in key positions, I am really enjoying it.
"It would be hard to leave this club, but I really do want to test myself, be a starting player and be a key member in a spine.
"I really like making game plans and being a leader in a team. If that happens to be at another club – and it might be – however I will pay my respects to the Storm first, [see] if they want to keep me. If I have to leave to get a starting role then I will have to do that."
Storm coach Craig Bellamy was asked about the future of Hynes on the weekend and said the club would do everything they could to retain the off-contract playmaker.
"We want to hang onto him but there will be a few considerations there for us and for him – how much we can afford to pay him and what position he would prefer to play in a footy team," Bellamy said.
"We will do everything in our power to keep him. The good thing about Nicho is that he is heavily involved and he can play a whole heap of positions."
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