Why the Cowboys could fall into a Nicho Hynes "trap"

North Queensland Cowboys legend Brent Tate has warned his former side not to “fall into the trap” of putting any more attention into pressuring star Sharks playmaker Nicho Hynes than usual.

Hynes struggled in Cronulla’s loss to the Melbourne Storm last week and is under pressure to deliver a performance worthy of his $1 million per season price tag with his team’s season on the line.

But Tate, who played 67 games for North Queensland, said focusing on the opposition skipper too much could work against the Cowboys.

“I think if it becomes a focus for the Cowboys, it can become a distraction,” he said on SENQ Breakfast.

“I think at the end of the day, I have no doubt, whether Nicho was in form or not, that anytime he has the ball the Cowboys will be wanting to cut down his time and put a whole lot of pressure on him.

“I think they could fall into the trap of wanting to put pressure on Nicho but I just get the feeling they will put pressure on him anyway.

“He is an important part for their team but I thought last week his performance was probably down a little bit and that was a real reflection of the team.

“As I said, I think it can be a trap, he won’t get anymore special attention than he would’ve got if he was playing well anyway.”

After progressing through to week two of the NRL finals, Tate also praised an under-the-radar star for the Cowboys following their home win over the Newcastle Knights.

“I thought Jordan McLean was outstanding last week, when he went off the field I was watching and really hoping Toddy (Payten) would get him back on the field sooner rather than later,” he said.

“He does a lot of work Jordan that goes unnoticed… He’s a big boy and hard to bring down so I thought he was excellent.”

Kick-off at Allianz Stadium for the elimination final between the Sharks and Cowboys is at 7.50pm Friday.