Super 14

As coach of the Waratahs, Ewen McKenzie guided his teams to Super Rugby finals in three of his five years. Returning to Australia after a stint as coach of French club Stade Francais, he was appointed head coach of the Queensland Reds in October to replace Phil Mooney, sacked after two seasons in the role.

Experienced and respected as he is, McKenzie is expected to bring a professionalism and expertise to the Reds which they desperately need.

But he has a veritable mountain to climb.

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Except in the early days of the Super 12, when in 1996 and 1999, under John Connolly, the Reds topped the log and lost in semi-finals, and in 2004 when, with Mark McBain as coach, they came fourth and again lost their semi-final, Super Rugby has provided little success for the men from Queensland.

In the four years since the advent of the Super 14 in 2006, with Jeff Miller, then Eddie Jones, then Phil Mooney as coaches, they have fared miserably, finishing 12th, 14th, 12th and then 13th  last year.

Sadly, the last time the Reds scored more points for than against was way back in 2002.

McKenzie has spoken of the "quantum leap" the players need to make in attitude and level of skills. He is happy that the players have the right mindset going into the new season and that he has the right sort of players at his disposal to make headway in the tournament. The endeavour will be, he says, to be creative and play to the team's strengths and to be unpredictable.

With McKenzie in charge, opposition teams will take the Reds seriously, which they haven't necessarily always done, but they will need to go out and win games to be considered a real threat.

Strengths: With players of the calibre of Peter Hynes, Quade Cooper, Digby Ioane, Morgan Turinui, rising Wallaby star Will Genia, the much heralded Melbourne Storm recruit Will Chambers, and the exciting young talents Richard Kingi and Luke Morahan, the Reds backline looks capable of asking big questions of opposition defences. James Horwill and his fellow forwards have the huge task of winning sufficient possession against some very formidable packs.

Weaknesses: It's some years now since the Reds were strong contenders for a semi-final spot and the change in mindset their new coach talks about will need to be substantial. The frontline backs are capable of penetration on attack but do they have the back-up if they should suffer injuries? There are question marks as to whether their pack can secure enough ball.

Noteworthy signings: Much is expected of the 21-year old Rugby League star Will Chambers, who is expected to play fullback or outside centre. A premiership winner with Melbourne Storm, he played rugby as a schoolboy and represented Queensland alongside Quade Cooper in 2006. Lei Tomiki, a schoolboy prodigy who left the Waratahs at 21 after struggling to get game-time with Phil Waugh the incumbent fetcher, returns after five years in France where he played for Narbonne and then Castres Olympique.

Noteworthy losses: The departure of Berrick Barnes to the Waratahs is a massive loss. Wallaby lock/flank Hugh McMenamin is playing in Japan. Fullback Mark McLinden retired for medical reasons after making a successful transition from rugby league. 

Coach: Phil Mooney, fired after two years as head coach, is now Rugby League club Brisbane Broncos' skills coach. Former Wallaby prop (with 51 Test caps) Ewen McKenzie was a Wallaby assistant coach to both Rod MacQueen and Eddie Jones before his successes with the Waratahs. He has the experience and acumen to get the best out of this team.

Captain: James Horwill is a 24 year old lock respected in world rugby for his strength, controlled aggression and the consistency of his performance. He has now played 46 Super 14 game since his debut in 2006 and has 24 Test caps for the Wallabies. He is regarded as a strong, intelligent captain.

Potential bolters: Rugby League convert Will Chambers is an exciting prospect. Powerfully built Lei Tomiki, highly rated by Ewen McKenzie, is an aggressive openside scavenger. Wing Luke Morahan (age 19) and scrumhalf Richard Kingi (20) - both graduates from the Reds Academy in 2010 - were awarded Wallaby colours in November despite being novices in senior rugby. With this sort of recognition from Wallaby coach Robbie Deans so early in their careers, they have much to gain from impressive Super 14 appearances.

2009 Position: 13th
Best finish: 1st on standings and losing semi-finalists in Super 12 in 1996 and 1999
Worst finish: 14th in 2007
Home Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane (capacity 52,500)

2010 Prospects: They can only improve on their dismal record in the Super 14 thus far. They have their first realistic shot at the top half of the table for a few years, but if they cannot complete the "quantum leap" coach McKenzie says they need to make, it could be another disappointing year for the Reds.

Reds squad:
forwards: Saia Faingaa, Sean Hardman, James Hanson, Ben Daley, Dayna Edwards, Greg Holmes, Jack Kennedy, Laurie Weeks, Adam Byrnes, James Horwill, Van Humphries, Rob Simmons, Ezra Taylor, Daniel Braid, Scott Higginbotham, Lei Tomiki, Poutasi Vaiofiso Tuasivi Luafutu, Leroy Houston
backs: Will Genia, Ben Lucas, Richard Kingi, Quade Cooper, Blair Connor, Anthony Faingaa, Morgan Turinui, Digby Ioane, Peter Hynes, Rod Davies, Brando Va'aulu, Luke Morahan, Will Chambers

Schedule:
Saturday February 13: v Waratahs, home
Friday February 19: v Crusaders, home
Saturday February 27: v Blues, home
Friday March 5: v Chiefs, away
Sunday March 14: v Western Force, home
Friday March 26: v Cheetahs, away
Saturday April 3: v Sharks, away
Saturday April 10: v Lions, away
Saturday April 17: v Bulls, home
Friday, April 23: v Stormers, home
Saturday May 1: v Brumbies, away
Friday May 7: v Hurricanes, away
Saturday May 15: v Highlanders, home

By Len Kaplan