It’s the Newcastle halves partnership six years in the making.

A long-term injury to veteran Mitchell Pearce means the Knights have been forced to play the NRL’s most inexperienced halves combinations in Connor Watson and Jack Cogger.

However Watson has revealed that the pair have a long history, having played alongside each other in an Australian OzTag representative team back in 2012.

“I’ve known Jack since I was 14. We played a lot of OzTag and touch together when we were young. We’ve always been mates, me and Cogs,” Watson told reporters on Monday.

“I used to play fullback growing up so Jack was my halfback a lot when I was playing fullback. It’s a bit of a different role now playing five-eighth with him but it’s good to have that combination there.”

Cogger appeared in just the 10th match of his career in Friday’s win over Manly, having been chosen by coach Nathan Brown at halfback following the axing of Brock Lamb.

His selection meant Watson, who has just 42 matches to his name, is the senior leader of a spine featuring fellow youngsters in fullback Kalyn Ponga and hooker Slade Griffin.

Their combined 106 games in the NRL is less than this week’s opposition halfback in South Sydney’s Adam Reynolds, who already has 133 alone.

But Watson insisted their quartet were willing to share the leadership vacuum left by Pearce’s absence.

“Jack’s a really great player. He’s similar to Mitchell in a lot of ways. Mitchell’s a great talker and he’s really got great leadership,” Watson said.

“I think that’s something that me and Jack can improve on together, talking more and leading the boys around a bit more. I thought it was a good start (against Manly).

“Obviously we can get a lot better but I think in the next coming weeks, you’ll see that partnership get stronger and stronger.”