Four weeks into life as Queensland Reds captain and James Slipper is already faced with an injury crisis the likes of which he has never seen before.
"This is something new to me," Slipper said of the curse that has afflicted the majority of the team's top-line players, including James O'Connor, Quade Cooper and nearly a dozen others.
"It's kind of been the way the season's panning out.
"It's annoying. I think there's 600 Super Rugby caps sitting on the sidelines. Those things don't help.
"But in saying that, we've got a good culture at the Reds. It's about believing in each other and the gameplan and coming out and delivering it."
The overwhelming likelihood is that even if the fruits of that culture somehow emerge on Saturday night at Suncorp Stadium, it still won't be enough to stop them from being mauled by the in-form ACT Brumbies.
Don't tell embattled Queensland coach Richard Graham, but the Australian conference leaders have kept the exact same starting side for the third consecutive week.
It was only a month ago the two sides last met in Canberra, with the hosts prevailing in a humiliating 47-3 bloodbath the Reds have attempted to erase from their memories.
Queensland's performance was so bad, Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham said it was "not up to the standard of Super Rugby" - a slant which has echoed through the halls at Ballymore this week.
Slipper made a point to say it hadn't been raised amongst the players and they weren't using it as motivation, although Jake Schatz said the exact opposite earlier in the week.
But he did add his name to the list of those who took it personally.
"If you get insulted like that you've got to take it personally," Slipper said.
"(But) we weren't at our best that game."
Queensland will be considerably weaker in the rematch, reliant on the unproven goalkicking abilities of stopgap five-eighth Nick Frisby and with Ben Tapuai at fullback - who has scant experience in that position, if any - in charge of a youthful back three.
But Slipper believes if anyone can organise that patchwork backline and help fend off the vultures in the form of Brumbies strike weapons Henry Speight and Joe Tomane, it's Tapuai.
"Taps is a really skilful player, a really confident player," Slipper said.
"I've been lucky enough to play with him throughout school and then into the Reds so he's got my full confidence.
"He's the type of player who leads by example, he's very confrontational - a bit of that on the weekend would be good."
Share
