LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
'We were unstoppable': The touch footy connection that should have Queensland fans shaking in their boots.
Jarome Luai and Nathan Cleary may have a telepathic understanding on the field, but the bond between the NSW five-eighth and halfback Nicho Hynes goes way back to their days of dominating Queensland.
According to a report by news.com.au, the new halves partners didn't have the opportunity to train together on Wednesday morning as the Blues gathered for their first official team session in the Blue Mountains.
However, for Luai and Hynes, forming a partnership is nothing new.
The dynamic duo previously united more than a decade ago as part of an "unbeatable" team that triumphed over Queensland.
While the trend in recent years has seen NRL combinations being carried over to rep level, Hynes and Luai are hoping to replicate their success from their high school touch football days.
They were part of a star-studded team that included future top-grade players.
"Jarome and I used to play touch footy for NSW when we were in high school, so we go way back," Hynes mentioned, emphasizing their history with a victorious touch game against Queensland in the grand final.
"We were just teenagers then, but now we have the chance to reignite that partnership on the field after a long time.
I can't wait to see what we can achieve together."