Both debuted in the NRL as teenagers, Norman at just 18. Their career trajectories have taken them away from Brisbane and now see them re-united at the Dragons.

Playing styles are poles apart, right down to Norman being left-footed and Hunt right. Hunt's best plays are inevitably effort plays, Norman's seemingly effortless.

Hunt has never put a foot wrong off the park, but remains one of the game's most scrutinised - and criticised - players when it comes to his performances on it.

Norman has had his hiccups off the field - nothing like the atrocities that have plagued the game in recent times - but just enough to trip him up whenever he's seemed ready to nudge the top echelon of play-makers.

Hunt's well-publicised pay-packet has played no small role in fanning the flames of the criticism. Norman's not on the same coin, but he didn't come cheap either.

He accepts the pressure will be on both of them to deliver this season.

"We all know why he cops it," Norman said of his halves partner.

"If he was on 500,000 he wouldn't get any of it but it's the price tag he has and that's what comes along with it. It is what it is, everyone's entitled to an opinion, that's today's society really.

"When the team's going bad there's no doubt there's pressure on the halves. When we're going well we're probably getting the pats on the back as well.

"He does handle it well and, as athletes, we have to do that. The more you keep your head out of Instagram or where people can control you the better you'll be.

"You can't hide from what's in the paper or on the footy shows but you can not watch it or read it as well. You've just got to worry about yourself and not too much outside noise."

Most commentary in those papers and on those shows were glowing in praise of Norman's start to his Dragons career last season.

Deemed surplus to requirements at Parramatta after five seasons, Norman was a bonus pick-up for the Dragons after Gareth Widdop's bombshell call to depart for the UK Super League at the end of 2019.

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In typical fashion, he slotted match-winning field goals to snatch wins over Brisbane and Newcastle in consecutive weeks and was undoubtedly his side's best player over the opening eight rounds.

A fractured cheekbone, courtesy of Fijian freight train Maika Sivo, in round eight halted his season and proved something of a turning point for his side.

He missed six weeks before returning in a round-13 win over the Bulldogs. They won just three of their remaining 10 games to finish 15^th.

Norman finished the season in the No. 1 jumper and admittedly out of form. On that front, the 29-year-old is decidedly frank as he approaches his second season with the club - his 11^th in the NRL.

"I need a big year, that's no secret," he says.

"I'm coming off two poor seasons. I know it's a team sport but I'm in a key role, I'm a key part of the team and I know that.

"You can't really change what's happened, I'm not one to look into that kind of stuff, at the end of the day it's up to me how I play out on the field.

"It's nothing to do with anyone else or any other things on or off the field, it's up to me. For me it's more my consistency that's probably let me down when it comes to getting into that top tier [of halves].

"That's up to me. that's something I'm putting on myself and I want to have a big year. I've come back and just worked a lot harder than I have previously and I'm really looking forward to it."

Part of the excitement is having his preferred No. 6 jumper locked down. He started in it last season, but again found himself at fullback when Gareth Widdop returned from a shoulder injury.

That has been a frustrating trend throughout his career. Of all his previous 10 years in the NRL, only three have seen him play exclusively in the halves without shifting back to fullback.

Coach Paul McGregor sought to bring some early certainty in that area in locking in Zac Lomax as his fullback at the commencement of preseason.

Norman said it adds to his confidence he, and his side, can bounce back from last year's arduous campaign.

"I'd probably play fullback if I was a bit quicker but I'm not quick enough back there," he joked.

"I played five-eighth at the Broncos for a couple of seasons and at Parra it was two or three years straight but it was the 2018 season I had to jump back there. It's not my preferred position.

"Zac's been appointed to the No. 1 job and he's been back there all preseason. The combinations are coming along well and it's been really good.

"I think that'll be a big factor this year, the clarity around where everyone's playing week in week out. You build confidence when the same team's out on the paddock every week and you get those combinations.

"It's really good coming in here knowing I've got that [No. 6] jersey."

He insists it's a confidence shared across the squad despite a poor finish to last season. Honesty has been the major hallmark, but Norman says his side hasn't spent time dwelling on excuses.

"There were reasons there but we still had a good enough team to not come 15^th," he said.

"Coming in off last year, everyone was disappointed coming into preseason and you could tell from day one everyone came in with a really good attitude.

"Attitude's everything. No matter what you do, if you're attitude's right and you're willing to compete you're already a long way to winning a game.

"Everyone's realised that and come back and it's a totally different vibe. I could feel it from day one and up to now, everyone's still ripping in. We're fitter, stronger, mentally we're a lot better.

"I think our mindset's changed towards being a much more resilient team. We're not going to go out there thinking things are just going to happen for us. It's about making it happen and working hard for it."