The new-look NSW playmaking roster of returning five-eighth James Maloney and debutants, fullback Matt Moylan and halfback Adam Reynolds, are sharing three to a flat as the Blues set-up looks for them to go from virtual strangers to slick combination almost overnight.
Speaking ahead of the team's first actual field session at the Novotel Pacific Bay Resort in Coffs Harbour, Maloney – preparing for his first Origin since the narrow 2013 series loss – said he had enjoyed getting to know Reynolds from up close rather than as opponents for the first time.
Reynolds joked that the trio had had a little family night in watching tv on their first night in camp before the real work started.
"We've got a little three bedder with Matty Moylan jumping in as well so the times are good there and we felt a bit of a family there last night together sitting on the couch and watching tv," Reynolds said.
Of his first impressions of the Sharks playmaker, Reynolds laughed: "He's as chirpy as you can imagine!
"He's a good character. He definitely brings the spirits up. You can hear him from a mile away which is a good thing and a bad thing at times but overall he's been good."
Maloney can't wait to start putting it together on the field.
"I think you get a different vibe or a different idea of a guy's game plan together than you do playing against them. You start to understand the reasons why they do things and that sort of thing," he said.
"I'm looking forward to getting out there and starting to work with him and hopefully we can nut out pretty quickly what we're going to do and start understanding each other's games pretty quickly because we don't have a whole lot of time."
He said the chat amongst the three roomies off the field hadn't turned to footy yet but it may well do once the structures start to take shape at training.
"It's not too footy based at the moment, just a chat as general mates and getting to know each other," he said.
"We'll do that as we go through the week and there's stuff to talk about. After sessions we'll obviously have the opportunity to talk about things and what we thought about different things and we'll make sure we've got it ready to go on Wednesday."
Maloney agreed it was a deliberate and expected strategy to throw the new playmakers together to help bring them up to speed as a combination.
"It tends to always happen that way, you sort of room with the other halves and that. It's good, it all helps with the relationship to build that combination," he said.
"[Reynolds] is nice and chilled, he's obviously stoked with the opportunity. He's been in the frame for a few years. There's been a bit of talk about him for a while now. He's stoked to finally get the nod. He's played in some big games before, it's not like he's a rookie, he's been in some big games now and he'll know what's coming."
This article first appeared on NRL.com
