- Throwback snaps of Origin stars have emerged
- New South Wales pair were ‘untouchable’ in touch football
- They will hope to combine again to beat Queensland.
New South Wales will introduce a new halves partnership in the first Origin game of this year’s series, after the Blues were rocked by the injury to Nathan Cleary.
But fans worried about any initial problems between the pair have nothing to fear, with Nicho Hynes and Jarome Luai forming an “untouchable” partnership in their formative years.
Sharks star Hynes and Penrith halfback Luai enjoyed incredible success together in their high school football days, with the duo wreaking havoc on Queensland in replay games.
The pair played in a team full of youngsters who would go on to play in the senior grade, with Hynes and Luai recognized as two of the best backs in the NRL today.
New, never-before-seen photos of the couple from their youth have emerged. Hynes played for Peninsula Junior Touch football and looked carefree for many years before winning the Dally M Medal in 2022.
This back will hope to wreak havoc on Queensland in this year’s Origin series.
He will team up with a Penrith superstar to take on the Maroons.
Luai can be seen with his trademark wide smile and has bulked up significantly since his teenage years.
“Jarome and I played football in NSW when we were in high school so we’ve known each other for a long time,” Hynes said.
“I was 15 and he could have been 14. We actually beat Queensland in the grand final in that touch game so hopefully we can do the same.”
“It’s good to rekindle that relationship because we haven’t combined properly on the field for a long time, so I’m looking forward to that.”
“I think we can continue to build our relationship off the field and he will transition on the field. He’s a great person and has a lot of energy. I feel like I have a little energy too, so I hope we can take advantage of that.”
New NSW coach Michael Maguire is tasked with ending Queensland’s two-year reign as Origin champions and has put his faith in Hynes and Luai to be the partnership to unlock the Maroons’ stubborn defence.
Jarome Luai (left) and Nicho Hynes (right) have a lot of chemistry since their youth
“We represent NSW at all school levels on our contact days so we’ve had some connection in the past so it’s great to see where we are now on the biggest stage of our game,” Luai said.
‘I’m very excited to rekindle what we had back then, but whatever happens, we’ll take it day by day.
“We were untouchable in those days.
‘We had a touch-gun side with guys like Matt Dufty, Jackson Hastings and Bevan French. I was easily (the slowest on that team), but it’s great to remember those days.’