Like Mann, his former teammate at the Knights, Watson has been deployed extensively as an interchange impact player – 79 times in his 156 NRL games.

This year Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson has used him mainly as hooker, but the 29-year-old has also played fullback, five-eighth, half and lock in the top grade.

Watson admitted that, as a young tyro, having to regularly shuffle around to fill gaps “probably frustrated me a bit”, because he saw himself as a five-eighth. But after spending the entire 2023 season on the sidelines injured, his perspective changed.

“For me, it’s not really about the number that you’re wearing on the back,” he said. “It’s more about your contribution to the team, and I’m able to do that in various roles.

“So for me, it doesn’t really matter where I do it, I just like being on the football field … it doesn’t matter what position you’re playing, that’s sort of been my mindset.”

A good No.14 can make a huge difference to any team, and there have been numerous examples of that at Origin level.

Kurt Gidley was so multi-skilled that, for a while, he was playing a custom-made hybrid role for the Knights combining hooker and fullback in the same game. His value was recognised when coach Craig Bellamy retained him as NSW captain during the 2011 Origin series, despite dropping him from the starting line-up to the bench.

Gidley became the prototype utility player, and his skill as a Mr Fix-it enabled him to play in 12 Tests for Australia and 12 Origins for NSW. Before him, the ability to multi-task ensured the likes of Craig Wing and Jason Croker were regulars at representative level.

In clubland, Jack Cogger’s cameo appearance as replacement for an injured Jarome Luai allowed Nathan Cleary to produce the masterclass that won Penrith the 2023 grand final.

The good ones don’t necessarily need to be versatile, but somehow they provide a squad with perfect balance.

Harry Grant, of course, is specialist hooker. But his usual tag-team partner with Queensland, Ben Hunt, can play in the halves as well as dummy-half, while the presence of Kurt Capewell, Dane Gagai, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Valentine Holmes ensured all bases were covered on either edge.

Grant just slotted in neatly, unlike Damien Cook, who found himself as a square peg in a round hole, playing 77 minutes as a makeshift centre after Tom Trbojevic broke down in a 32-6 loss to Queensland in 2023. Cook did at least score the Blues’ only try.

Then there are the “benchies” who simply don’t get a start, usually because a game is hanging in the balance and their coaches are loath to tinker.

One memorable case was in 1997, when Blues coach Tom Raudonikis left hooker Aaron Raper warming the pine for the entire game. What made it even more awkward was that Raper’s father John was a NSW selector.

Likewise, in 2013, Canterbury playmaker Josh Reynolds was not required during a 14-6 loss to Queensland.

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Neither player even features in the team line-ups listed on the reliable rugbyleagueproject.org website. Eighty minutes as a spectator doesn’t count as a game.

Somehow it seems unlikely either Watson or Mann will have such limited impact in Perth on Wednesday.

In the Blues’ series-opening 18-6 win, Watson waited impatiently until the 64th minute before he entered proceedings. In those 16 minutes he produced the match-sealing try assist for fullback Dylan Edwards.

Another day, another dollar for a bloke who knows how to get a dirty job done.

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