Sunderland fans may not want to think about their team right now, but one player who is away from the club on loan has been excelling this week.
It’s been a bad week for the Black Cats, with defeats to Leeds United and Hull City seeing Regis Le Bris’ side slip away from the automatic promotion race.
Sunderland players were slammed for the result at the weekend, and the performance was not up to scratch. They now have a chance to redeem themselves on Friday night against Sheffield Wednesday.
However, there is one bright spot for Mackems to get excited about, as a Sunderland player out on loan is ending the season in style right now.
Nectar Triantis bags two assists in two big wins for Hibernian
It’s been a brilliant season for Nectar Triantis out on loan at Hibernian, and the Australian ace has just brought an excellent week to an end by helping the Scottish side to another win with yet another assist.
Hibernian made it 12 matches unbeaten with a win over SPL giants Celtic at the weekend, and another huge win over Dundee United on Wednesday night.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 2 |  RangersRangers | 28 | 18 | 5 | 5 | 58 | 24 | 34 | 59 |
| 3 |  AberdeenAberdeen | 28 | 12 | 5 | 11 | 36 | 44 | -8 | 41 |
| 4 |  HibernianHibernian | 28 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 42 | 39 | 3 | 40 |
| 5 |  Dundee UtdDundee Utd | 28 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 34 | 34 | 0 | 40 |
Triantis registered an assist in both matches, and was hailed for his role in the win over Celtic. Last night, Triantis delivered an assist in the dying moments to seal the win for Hibs, and three points that saw them climb above Dundee United into fourth place in the table.
| Statistics | Nectar Triantis (24/25) |
| Appearances | 25 |
| Minutes played | 2,157 |
| Goals | 3 |
| Assists | 5 |
That’s now three goals and five assists for the Sunderland man, with all eight goal contributions coming in the last 11 games.
If Sunderland stay in the Championship, Triantis has a role to play
Obviously, we have to apply a certain SPL tax to the merit we give Triantis here, but we also have to give credit where it’s due and recognise that he has delivered big performances against two of the biggest and best teams in the league in the last week.
Hibernian fans are begging for Triantis to stay permanently, and there is a good chance that could happen. Indeed, Hibs manager David Gray certainly seems to want a deal to be struck if possible.
However, Triantis has different ambitions, and they involve returning to Sunderland as a ‘different player’ and making a name for himself on Wearside.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  LeedsLeeds | 34 | 22 | 9 | 3 | 71 | 21 | 50 | 75 |
| 2 |  Sheff UtdSheffield Utd | 34 | 22 | 6 | 6 | 48 | 26 | 22 | 70 |
| 3 |  BurnleyBurnley | 34 | 18 | 14 | 2 | 43 | 9 | 34 | 68 |
| 4 |  SunderlandSunderland | 34 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 50 | 31 | 19 | 62 |
| 5 |  West BromWest Brom | 34 | 12 | 15 | 7 | 44 | 31 | 13 | 51 |
| 6 |  BlackburnBlackburn | 34 | 15 | 6 | 13 | 39 | 34 | 5 | 51 |
If Sunderland do fail in their pursuit of promotion this season, there’s no reason why Triantis can’t join Le Bris’ squad and have an impact next season in the Championship.
He will become especially useful if the Black Cats do remain in the second tier, as we will see Enzo Le Fee return to Roma, and could well see either Chris Rigg or Jobe Bellingham (or maybe even both) heading off for big moves.
Having a player as hungry, versatile, and high on confidence as Triantis would be a major boost for Le Bris, and he must surely be keeping one eye on the Australian star right now with that in mind.