The Bushrangers set Queensland a monstrous victory target of 640 after amassing 8-591 in their second innings on day four before declaring an end to the highest third-innings total in a competition final.

David Hussey (168) spanked a century in a second successive final, skipper Cameron White made 89 and Aaron Finch 63 after openers Rob Quiney (73) and Nick Jewell (70) turned the match the home side’s way on Friday.

Victoria’s unbeatable position means they will claim back-to-back titles for the first time in three decades, as the Bulls (0-29) still need a whopping 611 more.

Hussey said Victoria had done what was required by posting a huge third-innings score after they were 6-75 on day one.

“I’m very happy with 611 runs left to go in a day and still a bit nervous to be honest – cricket’s a funny game,” he said.

“Hopefully (we take) a few more wickets before a decent crowd, hopefully the crowd can come and turn it on, and we can win the game tomorrow.”

This final was an arm wrestle over the first two days, but on Saturday became another run-fest, as Victoria hit 318 runs to all parts.

That continued the trend between these sides – which are playing their sixth final in 11 seasons – where the home team amasses a huge score to ensure they cannot be beaten.

The Bushrangers could at least go a step better on Sunday than last year’s final, when Queensland held out for a draw.

The one-sided match will help in Cricket Australia’s push to scrap the Shield final to accommodate more Twenty20.

Victoria’s batting intent was so merciless they sent in injured paceman Damien Wright (hamstring) with a runner when the lead was over 600.

Hussey said he was happy to bat a long time given Queensland amassed 6-900 in the final four years ago.

“It was definitely a long time. It was 240 overs we had to field for, so it’s definitely stuck in the memory bank,” he said.

The highlight on a long day for Queensland was the effort of 20-year-old legspinner Cameron Boyce, who took 6-181 from 44 overs in his second first-class game and first visit to the MCG.

“I’d trade it all for a win, but taking six at the MCG is pretty unreal,” he said.

Victoria are hopeful legspinner Bryce McGain will be a factor on Sunday, but Boyce said Queensland had no plans to roll over.

“I’ve only been in the team for five games now but every one I’ve played in we’ve fought hard right to the end, so we’ll just go out there and fight hard,” he said.

Queensland were a bowler short because of James Hopes’ calf injury, while Victoria will be without Wright on Sunday.

The target Victoria set Queensland was steeper than the 593 they set on the final day in last season’s final.

Roaring Hot

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We have such a mix of players from all states playing for whoever pays most or offers a job. For a franchise to make out there is a state v state match going on is hard for me to understand as I watch Berrick Barnes and Drew Mitchell lining up with the Waratahs.

Once a season we need a NSW v Queensland Match and to keep Sheek happy, it should be in traditional colours without sponsors on the uniform. It should also be able to encompass overseas players if available, so that we get the best of the best in a grand contest in the best traditions of Queensland and NSW.

Would be great if somewhere down the track a WA v Melbourne game could be added. I don’t think the ACT would ever have enough home grown players to make up a team.

I would love to watch this game and hopefully we can define it differently to the rugby league state of origin although that is a great and logical competition.

Bulls skipper Chris Simpson’s 76 off 38 balls helped lift his side to the biggest domestic Twenty20 total this season – 7-203 – before the Warriors were restricted to 5-166 off their 20 overs.

The winners of Tuesday’s preliminary final between Queensland and Victoria will play South Australia in the competition decider – and also book a spot in the lucrative Champions League in India.

In the end, Queensland romped to their third straight win in front of a 17,645-strong Gabba crowd.

West Indies captain Chris Gayle’s return from injury for WA proved a smash hit – but it wasn’t quite what the dreadlocked opener had in mind.

Sidelined for the past three games with a side strain, Gayle needed to produce his trademark fireworks after WA required more than 10 runs an over to reel in the Bulls.

It looked like it might be his night when he smashed a six and then was dropped by Glen Batticciotto on 17.

However, a short time later Ben Cutting claimed the prized scalp on the same score when Gayle swung lustily – only to hammer the top of his stumps.

He fell just moments after fellow dangerman Shaun Marsh (12) was bowled by Nathan Rimmington to reduce WA to 2-31, and the visitors never recovered.

Big hitting left-hander Wes Robinson (51 off 40) did his best to keep WA in the hunt, but it was too little, too late as James Hopes and Cutting (both 2-30) helped turn the screws.

Earlier, Simpson and Craig Philipson (46 not out off 28 balls) helped lift the Bulls to the imposing total.

Simpson thumped 11 fours and three sixes – as well as Aaron Heal’s confidence.

After Heal dropped Simpson in the first over, the WA slow bowler was positively tortured by the Bulls skipper in an eventful Nathan Coulter-Nile over.

The Bulls skipper skied a catch to Heal on the boundary, only for the WA fieldsman to run in too far and completely misjudge it – and cost his side four runs.

After thrashing another boundary past the hapless Heal, Simpson then thumped the ball straight to the WA spinner – only for him to over-run the ball and cost his side more runs.

Along the way, Simpson brought up his first Twenty20 50 in just 23 balls.

But Heal (1-28) got the last laugh when Simpson was stumped by Luke Ronchi in bizarre fashion off the slow bowler.

After the decision was thrown to the third umpire, replays showed Simpson made his ground after taking a mighty heave at Heal – only for the bat to bounce in the air as Ronchi broke the stumps.

WA seamer Brad Knowles (2-48) was on a hat-trick when Andrew Symonds thrashed the ball straight to former teammate Ashley Noffke at mid-on for a golden duck.

The Windies, who resolutely staved off an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Queensland on Saturday, are giving Gayle until Monday to make a rushed return from Jamaica where he’s visiting his ill mother.

While the chances are diminishing, the explosive opener hasn’t given up hope of playing in the first Test, starting on Thursday at the Gabba.

Even if he leaves the Caribbean early on Monday Australian time he will not arrive back in Brisbane until Tuesday night, giving him little time to overcome jet lag.

Selectors are expected to meet in the next 24 hours to choose a possible replacement batsman.

Gayle has been keeping in regular touch with his tour squad from Kingston, where his mother remains in hospital with heart problems.

He would be well pleased with the scores from the final day’s play at Allan Border Field as former captains Shivnarine Chanderpaul (69) and Ramnaresh Sarwan (66) combined for a crucial 131-run fifth wicket stand to ultimately claim a draw.

Trailing by 346 on the first innings, the Windies were 6-357 when the two captains called a halt with an hour to play.

Among the positives were half-centuries to openers Adrian Barath (74) and Travis Dowlin (53) in crucial confidence boosts if Gayle fails to return.

“If Chris is not here, those will be the two guys who will be doing the job for us and it’s good to see them get some runs and some confidence,” said stand-in skipper Denesh Ramdin.

“Most of the batters got a long hit out in the middle and things are coming along.”

The main concern for Ramdin, who saw his side to safety in a rearguard stand with ex-Queenslander Brendan Nash (36 not out), is the form of his bowlers after the Bulls belted 7(dec)-617.

Young gun Kemar Roach (3-135) was impressive with the new ball but the Windies sorely need rested spearhead Jerome Taylor to quickly overcome the stiffness he felt after last week’s long plane flight.

Tall left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn may have bowled himself out of a Test place with 1-151 from 34 overs on the flat wicket and small ground.

Ramdin said Benn needed to be more patient and work to a plan.

“It was a good match to bat on, there wasn’t much for the spinners,” Ramdin admitted.

“He must look at ways for him to improve as a bowler, more stock bowls and trying to work them out at the same time, bowl a lot of dot balls and be patient, rather than try and blast them out.”

Sarwan, who failed to bat late on day three due to a rash, followed up his first-innings 73 with another classy knock which ended just before tea when he was trapped in front by Alister McDermott.

All-rounder Dwayne Bravo again looked a million dollars while he was at the crease, belting Daniel Doran on top of the Stuart Law stand, but only lasted half an hour before he was leg before to Rimmington for 16, leaving the tourists vulnerable at 4-165.

Since reading that statement, I’ve made it my mission to find out who these players are (or aren’t, as the case looks to be, from the selectors at least), and to determine what sort of line-ups could be created from these “one-gamers”.

Straightaway I thought of the classics of Origin folklore, like Phil Duke, who was a winger from the Moree Boomerangs, and played the third game of the 1982 series after playing for Country that same year. Duke is one of three Country players to have earned State selection while not playing in the main NSWRL competition. I’ll get to the others in a second.

Unfortunately for Duke, and despite scoring a try on debut, he’ll only ever be remembered for missing an ill-directed pass from NSW fullback Phil Sigsworth, which was pounced upon by the great Wally Lewis for one of Queensland’s simplest tries ever.

The two other Country players were both forwards, Cootamundra’s Paul Field and North Newcastle hooker Rex Wright (1984 Game 1). Amazingly, Field won’t qualify for this team of one-gamers, as he replaced Wayne Pearce in the NSW second row for the second and third game of the 1983 series.

I figured that Western Suburbs centre Ken McGuiness would have to be a certainty too, because all I can ever remember him doing in an Origin game was sit on a bench, unused by Tommy Raudonikis. But he’s out too, as McGuiness actually played five games for NSW, three of those being off the bench. And scored two tries too, so he must have done something right at some point.

My knowledge of Queensland one-gamers starts and finishes with Arthur Beetson in the original State of Origin game in 1980, but apparently, he has twenty mates.

So, the task I’ve set myself is to come up with NSW and Queensland teams of one-gamers, ideally as recently-selected as possible. Coaches will be appointed too, and fortunately, there are some standouts.

For this exercise, NSW will be coached by none other than John “Bomber” Peard, who coached NSW for one series only, losing all three games in 1988.

Current Queensland selector Des Morris gets to wear the coaching cap for the one-game Maroons, with his sole series in 1985 netting just the one win.

With 47 players to pick from, the NSW side was pretty easy, and with only three players from the 1980s being required. Queensland was another story however, with several of the one-game players being from the 1980s, including four from the inaugural State of Origin game in 1980.

And so to the teams (most recently selected in each position, with some minor shuffling):

Queensland was so difficult in fact that I’ve had to use a fullback and a winger who got a second game (they’d be the ones with the asterix). For this, I lay the blame squarely at the feet of the Maroon selectors, whose unwavering loyalty to players is renowned. Even average fullbacks and wingers got another run.

Simply, my choice was to either run with Schifcofske and Mogg, or to play a one-game bench forward well out of position.

Another point of note too: David Peachey (NSW) and Owen Cunningham (Qld) both played in the Super League interstate series in 1997, but only played a single State of Origin game each. For this purpose, they qualify as “one-gamers”.

Also, a special mention to former Illawarra centre Brett Rodwell, who played one game for NSW, from the bench in 1995 (Game 2). Rodwell gets a mention because his Origin experience involved scoring a try with one of his first touches of the ball, but suffered a serious knee injury in doing so, and never played at this level again. John Hopoate gets the centre spot ahead of him only because he lasted the whole game!

So there they are; some quality players amidst a fair amount of nostalgia. Let the debate begin!

The fact that New South Wales has used somewhere near fifty players more than Queensland over the years says something for depth of playing ranks for the Blues, and for the aforementioned Maroon selection loyalty.

And just as ever, we go into another game on Wednesday night where NSW are full of debutants and Queensland keep selecting the same players.

I’m hoping that youthful exuberance triumphs, but I have a suspicion experience might again win out.

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Allow me to explain. I love NSW but more importantly, I hate to see Queensland win.

It is a hatred that had it’s birth watching NSW lose series after series in the early 1980’s as Queensland was exacting revenge after the many floggings at the hands of NSW teams – often filled with Queensland born and bred players.

Make no mistake. I hated Wally Lewis.

I hated Mal Meninga.

Dowling, Vautin, Conescu, Miles, Close, Langer…I hated them all.

And after every game that they helped Queensland win, after every series where ‘The King’ lifted the trophy…my hatred grew and grew – especially when I heard that old chestnut about ‘Maroon Spirit’.

As I grew older however, things changed.

I understood that Wally Lewis truly IS one of the game’s Immortals; a player the likes of which we will never see again.

I also grew to appreciate the fact Mal Meninga IS one of the greatest players ever to captain Australia and is fully deserving of being named in the centres in last year’s ‘Team of the Century’.

I can even acknowledge that Darren Lockyer is in the upper echelon of today’s players – all of this comes with age, acquired knowledge and a degree of common sense and reason.

What hasn’t changed however is my hatred for Queensland!

So come Wednesday it will still be the same. My blood pressure will go up with every tackle, my pulse will start to increase and the volume of my shouting at the TV will become louder.

So much so that despite my earlier assertion that NSW need to lose this series ‘for the good of the game’, I still want the new generation of Blues to grind Queensland into the dirt and make sure they know who the number one State truly is!

And that is what is wrong with the current state of affairs. We have a generation of supporters (dare I say Gen Y?) who grew up with the Blues domination of Origin football in the late 90’s, early 00’s. Where NSW winning League’s ultimate representative prize was commonplace.

They have not experienced the pain of seeing events like Dowling catching a Lewis kick off the crossbar to score under the posts in 1984.

Or Lewis carrying five NSW players over the line to win in 1989 after half the Queensland side were injured and had no chance of winning.

Or Mark Coyne scoring the ‘Miracle’ try to win in 1994.

They also don’t have this deep seeded expectation of Queensland scoring just before halftime – especially when NSW are in front!

No folks, this current generation did not have to go through any of this painful history, which has placed in me ‘seeds of hate’ which bloom every winter with the sight of a maroon jumper.

There is no ‘care factor’ and when asked whether it bothers them that Queensland could win a fourth straight series, the term ‘Whateverrrrrr!’ comes out of their mouth.

So in order for Origin to continue to thrive and prosper, it is the turn of Smith, Slater, Inglis and Folau to start being despised – rather than be admired and cheered for their individual skill and genius.

It is the turn of Lockyer and Thurston to be scorned upon the same way that Lewis and Langer were in series past.

It is time to pass the ‘torch of anger’ to a new generation of Blues supporters.

Set 188 for victory, Victoria were bundled out for 175, just when the Vics looked to be heading for a significant win.

Several players – among them Brad Hodge and David Hussey – looked fairly disinterested while Adam Crosthwaite threw his wicket away in the softest manner possible.

Victoria has now lost the Twenty20 final and the Ford Ranger Cup final, and on this current form, you could assume they could lose the Sheffield Shield final as well.

Some players in the Victorian side go OK in the home and away season, but come finals time in all three comps – Sheffield Shield, Ford Ranger Cup and KFC Twenty20 Big Bash – they go missing.

If the Vics do lose the Shield final at the Junction Oval, then be prepared to see some significant changes in the Victorian line-up for 2009-10.

The ACT became a separate union from NSW Country back in 1974, so I though that would be a good starting point to select the best players to represent the Brumbies, Waratahs and Reds. This gives us a span of 35 years (1974-2008), excluding this year, of course.

Many of Australia’s finest Wallabies have been produced in the past 35 years. With ACT, it allows me to select two of their pre-Brumbies favourite sons – Mick O’Connor and David Campese – both born and bred in the territory.

O’Connor’s Test career lasted just 4 years – 1979-82. He played for ACT 1979-80, Queensland 1981-82, before defecting to league and an even more glitttering career for the Kangaroos and NSW State of Origin.

Campese’s Test career endured from 1982-96. He represented ACT 1981-85 before transferring to NSW. Another pre-Brumbies player worth mentioning is Ricky Stuart. He played for ACT in 1986 and 87, when he was called up as a tour replacement to Argentina. The next year he was lost to rugby league. Yet another – prop Stu MacDougall - was a Wallaby between 1971-75.

Part of the criteria is that a player can only be chosen for one province. With ACT, it’s tricky since some of their finest were recruited from Sydney and Brisbane. Anyway, here goes.

ACT Brumbies 1974-2008.

15-David Campese, 14-Mick O’Connor, 13-Stirling Mortlock, 12-Pat Howard, 11-Joe Roff, 10-Steve Larkham, 9-George Gregan(c), 8-Jim Williams, 7-George Smith(vc), 6-Owen Finegan, 5-Justin Harrison, 4-David Giffin, 3-Ben Darwin, 2-Jeremy Paul, 1-Bill Young.

Bench: 22-David Knox, 21-Matt Giteau, 20-Ricky Stuart, 19-Brett Robinson, 18-Troy Coker, 17-Stu MacDougall, 16-Marco Caputo.

Notable omissions – Rod Kafer, Andrew Walker, Mitch Hardy, John Langford, Mark Chisholm, Pato Noriega.

NSW Waratahs 1974-2008.

15-Matt C. Burke, 14-Matt P. Burke, 13-Brett Papworth, 12-Mike Hawker, 11-Lote Tuqiri, 10-Mark Ella, 9-Nick Farr-Jones(c), 8-Tim Gavin, 7-Ray Price, 6-Simon Poidevin, 5-Steve Cutler, 4-David Vickerman, 3-Ewen McKenzie, 2-Phil Kearns(vc), 1-Topo Rodriguez.

Bench: 22-Glen Ella, 21-Gary Ella, 20-John Hipwell, 19-Greg Cornelsen, 18-Steve Williams, 17-Tony Daly, 16-Brendan Cannon.

Notable omissions – Phil Waugh, Rocky Elsom, Steve Tuynman, Willie Ofahengaue, Phil Cox, Mitchell Cox, Tony Melrose, Geoff Shaw, Gary Pearse.

QLD Reds 1974-2008.

15-Roger Gould, 14-Ben Tune, 13-Jason Little, 12-Tim Horan, 11-Brendan Moon, 10-Mike Lynagh(vc), 9-Peter Slattery, 8-Mark Loane, 7-David Wilson, 6-Toutai Kefu, 5-John Eales(c), 4-David Hillhouse, 3-Andy McIntyre, 2-Tom Lawton, 1-Tony D’Arcy.

Bench: 22-Dan Herbert, 21-Paul McLean, 20-Brian Smith, 19-Tony Shaw, 18-Rod McCall, 17-Dan Crowley, 16-Billy Ross.

Notable omissions – Chris Latham, Andy Slack, Paddy Batch, Peter Grigg, David Codey, Cameron Lillicrap, Mark McBain.

In my honest opinion, for the Reds, Gould beats Latham in a head-to-head contest, while on the bench McLean covers fullback as well as flyhalf. Also, for the Brumbies, I believe Howard was a more creative player than Giteau.

Some extraordinary talent spread throughout those three provinces, I’m sure you’ll agree. As a future exercise, I might look at region-of-origin for ACT, Newcastle-Hunter and North Queensland.

Central Coast mentor Lawrie McKinna hardly masked his disappointment over Farina’s tactics after Silva came off the bench late in the Roar’s 2-1 minor semi-final second leg win over the Mariners on Friday night.

And he believed a deadline should be set in place by Football Federation Australia (FFA) to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

But after savouring a victory that sealed Queensland’s second preliminary final appearance in as many seasons, Farina made no apologies.

“We played by the rules, that’s governed by the FFA, and the FFA said that it’s all okay,” he said.

“And ours is legitimate. We’ve got (Josh) McCloughan out for the rest of the season, Reinaldo out for the season – it’s not as if we have tried to pull a swifty.

“And Tahj Minniecon could be out as well. We will need the backup.”

Indeed Farina faced an injury crisis with McCloughan (groin) out of the finals series and Minniecon (hip) “no guarantee” of proving his fitness for the preliminary final showdown.

But McKinna seemed to need more convincing.

“It seems strange that you can strengthen your team for the finals series,” he said.

“Maybe I’m old fashioned … but I don’t think you should be strengthening your squad for the finals – simple as that.

“I think it was a big surprise to a lot of people.

“But that’s the rules. If you can exploit it and get away with it well …”

McKinna conceded that Silva’s injection in the 76th minute had little effect on the result – the Roar were already up 2-1 by that stage.

However, he was adamant that the practice should be stamped out.

“It was not like him coming on cost us, but I think the players who went through the season should be the ones in the finals series,” he said.

“I think there should be something where a player can’t get signed after a certain date.

“There should be a deadline. But that’s just my opinion.”

Farina surprisingly injected Silva onto the bench for Friday night’s crunch clash despite the Brazilian only recently arriving for an A-League trial.

Farina clearly liked what he saw – he signed the 23-year-old on a short term deal as an injury replacement for Reinaldo (osteitis pubis) after receiving a last minute clearance from his South American club America Miniero.

Silva got a not so subtle welcome to the A-League when he finally got on the field – he was on the wrong end of an 88th minute high tackle from Dean Heffernan that earned the Mariner a yellow card.

The diminutive livewire still showed enough to encourage Farina.

“He’s still not as fit as the other guys but he’s sharp enough,” Farina said.

“I liked the look of him when we saw him last week. I think he can do really well.”

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The home side scored four tries to two but didn’t have things all their own way in a match they only secured in the last 11 minutes.

Two soft Bulls tries either side of halftime were crucial in the wash-up after underdogs Queensland had overcome a slow start to hold a 6-3 lead and have the momentum late in the first half.

The Reds still fought back from 18-6 down with a superb 55m individual try to Wallabies winger Digby Ioane, Queensland’s best on the night, who split the Bulls defence from a Will Genia flick pass.

But just as the visitors appeared to be regaining the momentum, lock Adam Byrnes was sin-binned for dangerously flying into a ruck and the Bulls pounced while he was off.

Just before Byrnes was due to return, replacement back Burton Francis scored with his first touch of the ball from one of 11 Reds breakdown turnovers.

A dubious off-side penalty against reserve halfback Genia then allowed Bulls playmaker Morne Steyn to seal the match with a 69th minute penalty goal.

Man-of-the-match Pierre Spies ensured a bonus point for the Pretoria-based outfit late in proceedings with the No.8 scoring off a 5m scrum before Ioane set up Peter Hynes for a consolation try on the last play of the match.

Despite going to the top of the Super 14 table, a worrying shoulder injury to Springbok lock Victor Matfield tarnished the Bulls’ celebrations.

The Reds had been unlucky to trail 10-6 at the break after Springbok halfback Fourie du Preez scored an opportunistic 38th-minute try after pressuring opposite number Ben Lucas at the scrum-base.

But the Reds had themselves to blame with the scrum deep inside their 22 coming as a result of two errors, then topped off by Lucas’s inability to clear the ball from a wonky set piece.

The try came against the run of play after a Lucas penalty and Berrick Barnes drop goal had put Queensland in front 6-3 after they had soaked up an initial 15-minute Bulls attacking rampage.

It was a case of ‘anything you can do I can do better’ for Ioane who watched Wallabies teammate Pocock cross for three tries in 42 minutes before ripping the game away from the Force.

The dynamic winger scored his own hat-trick in a 17-minute period for the Reds to escape with an unlikely comeback victory to the delight of the 5,632-strong Brisbane crowd.

After giving Queensland the lead for the first time with a 74th-minute try off a superb Will Genia inside ball, Ioane snuffed out a gilt-edged Force counter-attack by marking a Haig Sare chip near the line.

In an entertaining but sometimes mistake-riddled match, both sides showed some of their best and worst but Force coach John Mitchell won’t be too concerned by the defeat as the Reds turnaround came after he substituted Pocock, skipper Nathan Sharpe and playmaker Matt Giteau.

The Force lost halfback Josh Valentine on game day when they opted against risking a lingering hamstring strain, promoting teenage third-stringer Justin Turner.

It didn’t take Turner long to make an impression, scooting off just the third ruck of the match, slicing through the thin defence and drawing a last defender to send Pocock over in the corner.

Pocock made it two within a quarter-hour by crossing with a powerful solo effort after receiving the ball virtually flat-footed 15m out.

The Zimbabwe-born, Queensland-raised forward, who the Reds last year chased hard to return to Brisbane, almost had a first-half hat-trick when fellow flanker Tamaiti Horua barged through slack defence but his inside ball travelled forward to Pocock.

He didn’t have to wait long in the second half though, with a turnover from Quade Cooper proving terribly costly for the Reds as the Force quickly punished with Giteau and Junior Pelesasa sending Pocock over with ease.

The Reds finally got on the board in the 50th minute when young lock Rob Simmons dived over from a rolling maul.

The ball was slippery on a typically balmy Brisbane night but neither coach would have been pleased by the ball-handling on show, with even Giteau dropping a couple cold.

In the set pieces, the Force’s superior line-out consistently frustrated the Reds’ attacking throws but after a shaky start Queensland’s scrum scored a marginal points victory.

Queensland coach Phil Mooney lamented a string of wasted opportunities in the first half but was delighted with the improved composure on show after the break, plus Ioane’s brilliance.

“Digby is such a dynamic athlete that we are always trying to get the ball in his hands, we couldn’t do it in the first half but once we did in the second half he was outstanding,” Mooney said.

“What a guy to have in your side.”

Mitchell was unfazed by the scoreline, labelling it “irrelevant”.

But while he could claim a moral victory on the first-half performance, he was critical of the Force’s lack of precision in attack.

“If we were a bit more accurate in the first half we could have got more points on the board,” the Force coach said.

Deans compared the perennial Super 14 battlers to the 1997 Crusaders which laid the platform for a hat-trick of Super 12 titles from 1998-2000.

The Wallabies coach on Wednesday talked up the talent and drive of a tight-knit young group at Ballymore, which will gain polish through marquee signing Daniel Braid.

“They remind me a bit of the Crusaders of `97,” said Deans, who rated Queensland capable of making the play-offs for the first time since 2001.

“We got together a group that was young and enthusiastic and really excelled.

“The Reds are on the ascent of the climb. They know they have capability.

“They are evidently going to get there it’s just a matter of time, when they turn that motor over.

“Inevitably they will get outcomes this year, there’s no doubt about that.”

The support comes on the eve of Queensland’s final trial match against the Western Force at Ballymore on Thursday night before they kick off the competition with a tough South African road trip.

Deans was an assistant to head coach Wayne Smith when the Christchurch-based Crusaders went from wooden-spooners to sixth in the 1997 Super 12.

As head coach Deans himself won five Super rugby titles guiding the Crusaders, including last year’s crown in a fitting farewell.

Many pundits expect the Reds – who have lost old heads Chris Latham, John Roe, David Croft and Sam Cordingley – to again finish as the lowest-placed Australian outfit in the Super 14.

But Deans felt former All Blacks and Blues flanker Braid would lead on and off the field to guard against the pitfalls of the team’s inexperience.

“He’ll be able to channel their energy consistently,” he said. “What happens with young teams is they’re exuberant and they see opportunities and they often push those opportunities all the time and can be impatient some times.

“The art of learning is you don’t always have to throw the miracle ball or play the miracle play.”

Deans’ message could have been singularly delivered to maturing Reds playmaker Quade Cooper, 20, who impressed in his debut Wallabies tour late last year but is still being warned not to overplay his hand.

“(Braid) is still hungry and the vigour that you get with his enthusiasm and the fresh challenge combined with a group that is clearly coming on and really excited about getting on, is really powerful,” Deans said.

Cooper and interim captain Berrick Barnes has been tipped out of goalkicking responsibilities for the start of the season with halfback Ben Lucas winning the role in a kick-off at training.

The heat and the trial nature of the contest, with both sides mixing and matching their players and never really playing the number one side, meant that hard and fast conclusions could not be made from the 28 -14 victory to the Brumbies.

This applies to the other trial matches that have been played in Australia and New Zealand.

One season, some years ago, the Auckland Blues won their trial matches by 50 and more and then collapsed when the real tournament play started.

Still it seemed to me watching the trial match at Canberra there were some statements that could be made.

First, Josh Holmes looked to be in tremendous form, passing crisply, running strongly and generally marshalling the Brumbies attack extremely effectively. 

Regular readers of The Roar will know that I have advocated Holmes as the successor to George Gregan as the next long-term Wallaby halfback (and potentially one of the best) throughout 2007 and 2008.

If Holmes plays well, the Brumbies could be the surprise team of the tournament.

Against the Hurricanes they showed off a strong lineout (snaffling a couple of Hurricanes throw); they have Stephen Moore to add some expertise and mongrel for the front rowl and there is plenty of pace and skill in the backs, with Clyde Rathbone, for instance, making one dazzling break that reminded us all how good he was before his injury crisis started.

Mark Gerrard and Christian Lealifano, Stephen Larkham’s successor (although no one can succeed Larkham totally) were clever and decisive in their running, kicking and passing.

The Hurricanes, rather like most of the spectators, seemed to be affected by the intense heat. There was a marked increase in the quality of their play when Ma’a Nonu and Corey Jane came on to immediately set up a try.

On paper, the Hurricanes should be a contender this season for the Super 14 title.

They haven’t really developed a Hurricanes system of play, unlike teams like the Brumbies and the Canterbury Crusaders.

This lack of a system means that the Hurricanes often lose to inferior sides, as they did last season to the Queensland Reds, and then disconcertingly for their supporters, put away much stronger sides.

Perhaps they need a cooler temperature to play their fizzing, expansive and fast-moving game, something they didn’t have at Canberra where they came, sauna-ed and were conquered.

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Not the God of bible fame, of course. His schedule must be tied up with much more pressing issues than the health of Australian football.

The God whose intervention is required made his name in Liverpool rather than Jerusalem.

That man, of course, is Robbie Fowler.

Fowler flew into Townsville on January 16 for a meeting with Ian Ferguson, coach of new franchise North Queensland Fury.

Topic of discussion was the Fury’s marquee spot, and whether Fowler would consider filling it.

At 33, Fowler’s best football is undoubtedly behind him. Dogged by injuries in the past few years, he has bounced between short stints with Liverpool, Cardiff and Blackburn.

But should he remain injury free, few could doubt his ability cut it in the A-League.

Besides, the Fury’s decision to chase Fowler is not just purely a football one. Dwight Yorke showed what the right marquee signing could do when he electrified Sydney in his one season with the Sky Blues.

Crucially in the first season for the Fury, Fowler’s signing would spark enormous interest in the Townsville community.

Not that North Queensland is the only suitor for Fowler. Soon after he left Townsville, it emerged that teams in China were prepared to throw big bucks at the 26-time capped Englishman.

But while Fowler could potentially earn far more at other clubs, money may not necessarily be the major factor in his decision.

Having earned more than sizable wages for at least a decade, Fowler has invested wisely in property and horseracing.

A move to Townsville would be a lifestyle change after years of kicking the frost off training grounds during the harsh British winters.

Ferguson appears quietly confident of landing his man, though he has identified alternative targets should Fowler spurn his advances.

But he would have been heartened last week after learning that Fowler had requested further information on Townsville schools in which he could potentially enrol his three children.

Should Fowler decide to nail his pennant to the Fury’s post, it would prove a terrific bit of news for the new franchise – which so far has played second fiddle to Gold Coast United – and the local game as a whole.

Given the recent exodus of quality from the A-League, it would make a fresh change.

I spent most of last week in Hobart. No, it wasn’t second prize in the pub raffle; it was to attend my brother’s 80th birthday party, which isn’t a bad reason to make a trip anywhere.

While there I took the opportunity of sounding out some local opinion on the subject of a Tasmanian team in the AFL, about which I found a surprising lack of missionary zeal.

“It’ll never happen,” one of my best mates from way back said. “There’s too much politicking involved.”

Then he launched into a forceful outline of why, if it did happen, the team would have to be based in Hobart, of course.

“This is where the corporate dollar is,” he said. “And that would be the main thing deciding where the team would be.”

But that ever-reliable barometer of public opinion, the taxi driver taking me to the airport on the way home, plumped just as strongly for Launceston, where Hawthorn have built up a solid following as a basis for a Tasmanian team to build on.

“York Park’s the best football ground in the state, in fact some of the players have said it’s got just about the best surface in Australia, while the Bellerive ground in Hobart has been developed especially for cricket,” he said. “And Lonnie’s better situated to get fans from the north-west and the north-east who wouldn’t travel to Hobart.”

Nothing much has changed since I escaped 40-odd years ago.

One thing nearly everyone did seem to agree on, though, was that former Brisbane and Fitzroy champion Alastair Lynch should coach the Tasmanian team to play Queensland at (you guessed it) Bellerive on June 7.

Lynch has been approached and is receptive to the idea if he can make time between his media and other commitments.

“It’s a terrific honour for the guys down there to think of me in that sort of role,” Lynch, a former state player and a member of Tasmania’s Team of the Century, told the Mercury newspaper.

“As everyone would appreciate, it is more than just the match day, it is very important you have a very good understanding of the players, which I feel wouldn’t be an issue, but you have got to dedicate time into the lead-up of the game.”

But both Lynch and former state coach Andy Bennett thought this could be overcome by Lynch studying videos of the players chosen in the squad.

“The players would get really excited about wanting to play under someone like him and learning from him,” Bennett said.

It will be interesting to see how the crowd for the game stacks up against those at Hawthorn’s home games at York Park this year, especially if Lynch, who played 120 games for Fitzroy and 186 for Brisbane after being recruited from Wynyard in Tasmania’s far north-west, does take the job.

The Mariners managed to hold on to fourth spot to reach their third finals series in four years, but only just, after losing their last three matches of the regular season.

The poor run of form has coincided with the departure of Jedinak to Turkish giants Genclerbirligi at the start of 2009 but the Mariners are remaining positive heading into Friday night’s minor semi-final first leg against Queensland at Bluetongue Stadium.

Coach Lawrie McKinna denied his side still faced a mental challenge to overcome the loss of Jedinak, believing his side has never been a team to rely on individuals.

“It’s not a mental thing that he’s gone for us, nothing to do with that, it’s just a fact that he was probably our best player,” McKinna said of losing Jedinak.

“He’s a full international Socceroo and he’s gone and he’s a big gap to fill.

“It’s ‘life after Mile’ for us and we just have to make do and get other options and things that will work for us.

“We’ve never been a team of individuals and I think that’s why we’ll get over the Mile thing.

“Everybody just needs to pick up a wee bit and we’ll cover for Mile with passion, hunger and workmanship.”

Mariners captain Alex Wilkinson agreed, saying the side’s past three losses had nothing to do with Jedinak’s departure.

“I don’t think Mile could have done much about that goals we’ve conceded or that he could have changed the results we’ve been having,” Wilkinson said of the consecutive losses to Adelaide, Queensland and Melbourne.

“Obviously he’s a great player and it’s unfortunate we’ve had to lose him but they boys that have come in have done a great job and I’m more than confident they can do the job in the finals and get us the big one.”

Wilkinson joined the growing contingent of A-League stars being targeted by cashed-up clubs within Asia, after reportedly receiving an offer from a Korean side last week but the defender reaffirmed his commitment to the Mariners.

“I’m staying put, I’ve got the finals at the moment and I’m then I’m looking forward to the ACL … I’m really looking forward to the next six months,” Wilkinson said.

Veteran defender Craig Moore was the only locally-based star to win a berth in Verbeek’s 22-man squad to take on Japan in next week’s World Cup qualifier in Yokohama, the rest made up of the plethora of players plying their trade offshore.

Australia drew 0-0 with Indonesia in Jakarta last week with a squad made up only A-League players, the game played in oppressive conditions and on a hard to handle pitch.

“I was very pleased with what I saw from some players in the Indonesia game but again Indonesia away is different than Japan away,” Verbeek said.

“Yeah they did (impress), but so far they were not better than the players I have.”

Despite Moore being the only local in his list of 22, which will be trimmed to 18 the day before the game, Verbeek claimed A-League players had not been snubbed, saying the A-League finals should be the focus.

“Normally I can take 24 players so it’s not so difficult to take players from the A-League over there, some of them really deserve it,” Verbeek said.

“But as you all know there is also the semi-finals coming up and some teams play (next) Friday (meaning) they come back on Friday morning and then play Friday night.

“I will only select A-League players I am more or less 100 per cent sure that they will be in the final 18 and at this moment I think I have enough players with experience and enough quality.”

The first leg of the A-League semi-finals will be held this weekend with Central Coast to host Queensland on Friday night and Melbourne away to Adelaide on Saturday night.

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Kewell was a notable absentee from Verbeek’s 22-man squad announced in Sydney on Tuesday, the returning Vince Grella joining the likes of Tim Cahill, Jason Culina and Lucas Neill in an impressive line-up for the Yokohama clash on February 11.

But Verbeek admitted the door was still open for Kewell to force his way into the final 18 for a game which could go a long way towards ensuring Australia’s passage to the World Cup finals.

Kewell hasn’t played for Turkish club Galatasaray since undergoing a hernia operation last year, but is in line to make a return this weekend.

“What Harry told me is that if there’s a chance he will play the weekend, that I can always call him,” Verbeek said.

“But (first) he has to play on the weekend and then I can make up my mind.

“I don’t take risks with players. For me it’s important they are ready and fit … and I have to be 100 per cent sure they can play 90 minutes.

“I can’t start players that I know already that I have to take them out – games like this I cannot take that risk.”

Another touch and go contender is veteran midfielder Scott Chipperfield, his season and a potential switch to the German Bundesliga dogged by a persistent foot injury.

Verbeek has sent team physio Phil Coles to Basel to check on Chipperfield’s fitness, with Australia in need of all the midfield it can get its hands on following the news Blackburn star Brett Emerton would miss the remainder of the qualifying campaign with a knee injury suffered at the weekend.

“The climate at the moment is not helping us because it is very cold and there is a lot of snow in Basel,” Verbeek said of Chipperfield’s situation.

“So at the moment there are no training sessions at all – but that’s the reason why we sent Phil to Europe, to check and to find out what’s possible.”

Verbeek, who will be in Tokyo for Japan’s warm-up match against Finland on Wednesday, refused to divulge too much about the likely make-up of his run-on side, particularly given the fact many will be involved in club matches this weekend.

Five squad members – Neill, Bresciano, Mile Jedinak, Michael Petkovic and Carl Valeri – are not due to arrive in Yokohama until Tuesday morning.

Verbeek said he had read little into Japan’s Asian Cup qualifying loss to Bahrain last week, comparing it to Australia’s 0-0 draw with Indonesia with a side consisting entirely of A-League players.

“They lost in Bahrain but that says nothing – we played 0-0 in Indonesia and that says nothing because we played different players,” Verbeek said.

“(Japan) have five other players from Europe, that’s half the team – that can make the difference.”

The only A-League player to make the cut this time around is Craig Moore, the veteran Queensland defender facing a hectic schedule with the Roar’s two-leg semi-final against Central Coast.

The future of 33-year-old allrounder Symonds looks tenuous after Cricket Australia made him ineligible for the tour of South Africa so he can pursue an intensified course of counselling.

Symonds has lurched from one misadventure to the other since he was left disillusioned by the fall-out from the Harbhajan Singh racism hearings last summer, his problems seemingly enhanced by CA’s desperate desire to have him playing as much cricket as possible.

But finally on Tuesday the board acknowledged that Symonds’ issues, including the alcohol problems that were most recently demonstrated during a slurring interview that featured the “lump of s—” jibe at Brendon McCullum, had to be addressed fully before he could go any further as a sportsman.

Though he was at pains to say Symonds was “making good progress”, CA chief executive James Sutherland said he would have to satisfy stricter rehab criteria before again being available for selection.

Among the key stipulations is that Symonds’ counselling must take priority over any cricket commitments with CA or Queensland Cricket, possibly limiting his chances to regather form in time to be considered for subsequent tours in April and beyond.

Captain Ricky Ponting was known to be very keen to have Symonds back in his side after Test and one-day series losses to South Africa on home soil this summer.

However Sutherland said the CA board took into account a recommendation from management that Symonds be ruled out of the South African tour.

“In arriving at that decision, the board has taken on advice received from a number of people who are working very closely with Andrew,” he said.

“We see that this period back in Australia will provide him with an opportunity to have some more intense counselling and to work through some of his issues and ensure he has the right platform to come back to international cricket in a manner that we wants to.

“We acknowledge there have been some setbacks in recent times, but overall the advice that we are getting from those working with Andrew is that he is making good progress.”

Sutherland spoke to Symonds, Ponting and Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke before making the decision public.

“It’s a tough stance, but it’s an appropriate stance in the circumstances,” said Sutherland.

“It can be looked at as a sanction, but I would prefer to look at this as a decision in the best interests of Andrew Symonds as well.

“He is making good progress, but at the same time will benefit from some concentrated counselling over this period before he goes on tour again with the Australian team, selectors’ opinions permitting.”

Symonds attended the funeral of a close friend on Tuesday, and his management released a statement saying that if he chose to pass comment on the sanction it would be on Thursday.

Through it all, Symonds has retained his CA contract, but it will be a long road back.

In reality, the Reds have never had a forward who has scored at a rate better than a goal every other game, and only twice in the club’s history has an Adelaide target man found the back of the net at an average better than a goal every 2.5 games in a season.

The best marksmen in the league are scoring at a ratio better than a goal every other game.

This season in the A-League home and away rounds, Eugene Dadi scored 10 goals for Perth in 16 games (1.6 games per goal) and Sergio van Dijk scored 11 for Queensland in 20 games (1.81 games per goal). Over the course of two seasons with the Phoenix, former Adelaide player Shane Smeltz has scored 21 goals in 39 appearances (1.85 games per goal).

Adelaide’s most consistent scorer in a single season was Bruce Djite during the 2007/8 campaign, scoring 10 times in 20 games in all competitions – a goal every other game.

To find the next best games per goal ratio, we have to go back to Adelaide’s first season as a club, when Carl Veart found the net 12 times in 27 games (a goal once every 2.25 games) in the old National Soccer League.

The third best record belongs to Fernando Rech, scoring 7 times in 18 matches (2.57) in the inaugural A-League season.

The best of the rest include Michael Brooks’ cameo at the end of the 2003/4 season, which yielded 3 goals in 8 games (2.67); Paul Agostino managed 4 goals last season in 11 games (2.75) and Fernando Rech scored 9 in 25 games in the 2006/7 season (2.78).

So far this season Cristiano has notched 12 goals in 33 games (2.75). However, the other two strikers on Adelaide United’s books have yet to trouble the scorers.

Robert Younis (no goals in 17 games) and Paul Agostino (no goals in 10 games) need to have a fruitful Finals campaign if they are to avoid joining the ranks of Reds strikers to score one or none in a season. Adelaide’s gallery of goal-deprived front men includes Elias Demourtzidis and Chad Bugeja, who both failed to score in 12 games. Dez Giraldi managed one goal in two injury-plagued seasons from 21 games.

Nick Budin scored once from 19 games in 2003/4. A young Shane Smeltz was one from seven in 2003/4. Finally, in 2006/7, Bruce Djite scored once in 15 appearances and Shengqing Qu hit the back of the net once in 8 games.

Whilst every football club in the world has had strikers who have struggled to score goals, the statistics presented above show that no Reds forward has ever been amongst the top players in the country, apart from Bruce Djite.

Emphasising this point is the fact that right-winger Travis Dodd is currently the club’s all-time leading scorer with 30.

For the Reds to be successful next season it is vital that they sign a marquee striker capable of matching the best in the country and scoring at a rate of less than two goals per game. Depth in the position is clearly also an issue that needs to be addressed.

Otherwise it is likely that Adelaide will continue to be place an unnecessary burden on its midfield to produce goals and the team’s overall play will suffer as a result.

Tiatto is an intimidating man – but Farina could only see the funny side when the former Socceroo was brought up at training in Brisbane on Friday.

Despite McMaster’s recent form, the straight-shooting Tiatto this week claimed he preferred to have Reddy behind him in the finals due to his superior experience.

It’s enough to create a rift at some clubs, but Farina said the comment had merely prompted a “giggle” at training.

“Fortunately Danny doesn’t have a say,” Farina laughed.

“Look, Danny is Danny. I have known him for a long time. I don’t want him to change, put it that way.

“If he has his opinion on things I don’t have a problem with that – but I pick the team.”

McMaster is hoping for his fifth straight appearance for the Roar this season in next Friday’s minor semi-final, first leg clash against Central Coast at Gosford.

At one stage the third-choice Roar `keeper, McMaster has covered himself in glory since initially filling in for an injured Reddy.

So much so that the 25-year-old has kept his place at the business end of the season despite Reddy recovering from a hamstring complaint.

But Tiatto clearly prefers Reddy.

The former No.1 keeper was relegated to the National Youth League last weekend before warming the bench for Queensland’s 4-2 win against Perth at Suncorp Stadium – a result that sealed third spot for the Roar.

Farina said McMaster and Tiatto shook hands at training after the comments became public.

“Look they had a laugh about it yesterday, a bit of a giggle,” he said.

“(But) Danny never says sorry, he’s like that. He jokingly said to the boys the other day `at least I am not a liar’.

“But it’s my job to pick the team which I think will do the job for us.

“If you want to debate for the next week whether that is Liam or Griffin go for it.”

Farina had hinted that McMaster would keep the No.1 job – for now.

“Liam has performed well and since Griffin has been in he has performed well,” he said.

“So whoever does well enough over this next two weeks will get the nod but whoever it is will do a good job for us.

“Competition is very healthy, for all players. It is a positive thing.

“If it was negative for any individual player they shouldn’t be at this level.”

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Dorey grabbed the sixth five-wicket haul of his career for the Warriors by taking 6-28 from 20.2 overs in a superb performance to dismiss Queensland for 247.

Showing the sort of form which earned a call-up to the Australian one-day team three years ago, the 203cm skyscraper continuously troubled the Bulls with his steepling bounce on a typically seam-friendly wicket.

Dorey knows the rewards on offer from the fast and bouncy Gabba pitch well, his career-best return came on the ground in 2005-06 when he also terrorised Queensland for 7-86.

Only Martin Love (96) and Ashley Noffke (41) seemed in control as Dorey began the carnage on the third over of the day by having opener Nick Kruger caught behind for a duck.

A 93-run stand by Love and Noffke helped the Bulls recover from a terrible start on a topsy-turvy opening which saw the Warriors take slight first-day honours when they went to stumps at 1-16.

It was a welcome form reversal for WA, needing an outright to stay alive in the finals hunt after failing to pick up a point in their last four Shield matches.

Among Dorey’s half-dozen scalps was the wicket of Andrew Symonds who lasted just seven balls in making five in his comeback from knee surgery.

WA skipper Marcus North, who had little hesitation in bowling first on winning the toss, brought his new-ball giant back into the attack when Symonds walked to the crease at 2-32.

The Australian all-rounder was lucky to get off the mark when he slashed Ben Edmondson over second slip but Dorey took just one ball to send Symonds packing, inducing a defensive edge to be caught at first slip by Adam Voges.

It was one of five grasps made by the sure hands of Voges who equalled a Shield record of most catches in an innings.

Former Test batman Love hit 15 boundaries in his majestic four-hour knock that kept the Bulls in the battle after they slumped to 3-37 and then 5-120.

They were seemingly cruising at 5-213 when Steve Magoffin (2-50) sparked a 5-34 collapse by having Love edge to Voges.

Dorey then had Noffke adjudged leg before the next ball before having Ryan Harris also caught by Voges for a golden duck and a rarely-seen team hat-trick.

Voges became just the fifth fielder to pouch a handful of catches following the efforts Peter McAlister (1901), Kepler Wessels (1985), Mark Taylor (1995) and Cameron White (2006).

Clark was ruled out of next month’s three-Test tour of South Africa on Thursday after experiencing swelling on the troublesome elbow that he had surgery on last month.

The complaint had forced the NSW bowler’s withdrawal from the Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania starting Friday – a crucial fixture in his return from injury.

Clark and NSW team physiotherapist Pat Farhart had no concerns the injury was a long-term problem but Andrew Hilditch and his men have taken a “softly, softly” approach to give the 33-year-old the best chance of returning for Australia’s Ashes defence later this year.

Left-arm paceman Mitchell Johnson and Victorian Peter Siddle will again lead the team’s attack in the absence of Lee and Clark in South Africa, leaving Australia short on experience as they attempt to fend off the Proteas to retain the No.1 Test ranking.

“We want Brett and Stuart back as soon as we possibly can,” Ponting said.

“(But) the other guys that we’ve got around – I’m not worried about how they’re going at all.

“With these injuries and guys missing out, it creates great opportunities for the younger guys and I’m sure some of those guys are going to stand up for us.

“The next six one-dayers here and then some Test matches in South Africa, there’s no doubt some of these guys are going to get a bit more exposure and I’m looking forward to seeing it.”

Clark claimed 20 wickets at just over 15 in Australia’s 3-0 Test series win in South Africa three years ago and the Proteas have openly admitted how greatly he has troubled them in the past.

But weighed up against that is the Ashes and Clark is seen as a key part of Australia’s plans for the five-Test series against England starting in July in Cardiff.

The Blues bowler is now targeting his first-class return in the Sheffield Shield match against Queensland at the Gabba on February 26.

Clark is also preparing to step into the subcontinental meat market of the Indian Premier League auction as a way of keeping in shape before the Ashes.

He said the IPL, which runs from April 10 to May 29, could be just the ticket to keep him in good nick before the Ashes tour starts in June.

“I still need to play some cricket and that might be one of the options,” Clark said.

Clark is believed to have a reserved price on him of $US300,000 for next week’s IPL auction.

He skipped the first season of the IPL last year to be with his family for the birth of his second child and complete his finance studies.

Although not obligated to attend, Symonds will on Thursday personally face the music for his “lump of s***” radio jibe at New Zealand wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum.

The troubled all-rounder was originally set to give evidence via a phone hook-up in order to stay and train in Brisbane in preparation for his playing comeback for Queensland on Friday.

But with an important Cricket Australia board meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, looming as pivotal in his hopes of making a Test return for next month’s South African tour, Symonds will make a rushed trip south.

Symonds’ manager Matt Fearon indicated an extra training session was hastily planned with Bulls coach Trevor Barsby to ensure he was properly prepared for his return from knee surgery against Western Australia at the Gabba.

“He was keen to obviously fulfill all the training commitments he could at this point so that was the only concern,” Fearon said on Wednesday.

“But he’s worked with Trevor Barsby in picking up some additional training that he would have missed.

“Obviously the primary importance is to be at the hearing.”

While Symonds will be suited up and represented by Australian Cricket Association legal counsel Michael Abrahams, the code of behaviour hearing is only the first, and arguably least threatening, of three successive tests of his touring worth.

Despite a controversial history, Symonds’ charge is his first under CA’s code of behaviour which is set to save him from a suspension.

He is expected to cop the maximum fine of $5,750 fine for Friday’s rambling FM radio rant, which followed a drinking session at a Gold Coast hotel.

The most worrying test, hot on the heels of the Gabba Shield clash, will be Tuesday’s CA board meeting as directors debate the dreadlocked swashbuckler’s future.

Symonds is understood to have strong supporters and detractors alike on the board which may send him into another period of counselling and rehabilitation after his latest in a string of off-field dramas.

Former Test captain Ian Chappell has warned against including him in the South African tour party, believing Symonds would be a major distraction.

But his psychologist, Deidre Anderson, who helped Ian Thorpe reach his decision to retire from swimming, said Symonds was ready to overcome his problems and return to peak form.

Support was also coming from Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke who said he’d been in contact with Symonds and endorsed skipper Ricky Ponting’s desire to have the all-rounder back in the team.

“As Ricky said (we are) looking forward to him coming back,” said Clarke.

“As we’ve all made clear we love having Symo in the team.

“He’s a wonderful player, he’s a fantastic guy but at the moment he’s got a few things on.

“As players it’s important we leave it to Cricket Australia.”

On the day Symonds was charged under Cricket Australia’s code of conduct for making a detrimental public comment – his “lump of s***” jibe at Kiwi `keeper Brendon McCullum – Chappell said he did not think the Queenslander had yet come to terms with a drinking problem.

He also felt that Symonds’ behaviour effectively reduced his value to any team, including Australia and even his IPL franchise, because of the distraction and irritation it created for teammates.

“It’s fine for Ricky Ponting to be saying he’ll take Andrew Symonds back, but in the shape he’s in at the moment he’s going to be a hell of a distraction to the team,” Chappell told Adelaide radio station FiveAA on Tuesday.

“They’ve got enough distractions with players struggling for form, without outside distractions.

“You’ve got to face up to the fact you’ve got a problem before you can fix it.

“I don’t know what’s been going on with the counselling, but it appears to me, I certainly haven’t heard anything public from Andrew saying, `look I have a bit of a problem here’.

“He keeps putting himself in the position like he did in the pub in Brisbane, and then in that position the other day when he’s interviewed when he’s had a few drinks, it sounds to me that he hasn’t made that admission even to himself that he’s got a problem.”

Chappell offered Ponting as an example of a sportsman who had successfully dealt with a drinking problem, and done so by starting with a public admission of his frailty.

“There were a lot of people who said they thought Ricky Ponting was silly to make his announcement public a few years ago when he said `I’ve got a drinking problem’,” Chappell said.

“But I thought one, it was a pretty courageous thing to do, and two, I thought it was quite a smart thing to do, because he put the onus on himself.

“If he didn’t fix the problem there were going to be a few million people who knew that he hadn’t fixed the problem.”

Looking over Symonds’ list of misadventures since he first ran into trouble by missing a team meeting to go fishing in Darwin during the off-season, Chappell viewed them as “cries for help”.

“You almost get the feeling that these are cries for help, there’s been so many of them lately, as an ex-sportsman you think, well is he almost trying to get himself into trouble so someone else does the job for him and it puts him out of the game for a while,” he said.

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South Africa, who gained an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series following Monday’s thumping eight-wicket win in Adelaide, will move to top spot on the ICC ODI Championship table with a win at the WACA Ground.

The Proteas, who will also head the Test rankings if they can win their home series against Australia next month, held the No.1 one-day ranking in February 2007, while they also shared the mantle with Australia in March and April last year.

But Hussey said Australia weren’t prepared to give up their No.1 ranking without a fight.

“You want to be ranked No.1 in the world in every competition you play in and winning is synonymous with cricket in Australia . . . so we’d like to keep that winning feeling going,” Hussey said in Perth on Tuesday.

Australia have called in the cavalry for Friday’s match, naming vice-captain Michael Clarke, who has missed the past three games with a thumb injury, and paceman Nathan Bracken, who missed one game with a calf strain, in the 13-man squad.

In contrast, South Africa are set to rest star trio Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini and Jacques Kallis, insisting they care little about the rankings.

“I don’t think (ICC rankings) are a major thing for us, especially since there could be changes for our last match,” batsman Hashim Amla said.

“We are a team who are a work in progress.

“If we do win and go No.1 it would be something we’d certainly treasure, but it’s not our main concern.

“The ranking is an indication for sure, but as a team we set our own standards, our own personal standards and I think that’s taking the primary focus and so far it’s worked quite well.”

Hussey admitted some players had been hurt by the criticism levelled at the team in the press.

“It’s a little bit disappointing,” Hussey said.

“We’ve got some fantastic players in the dressing room and I know some of the boys read the paper this morning and I guess they are going to use it as motivation for Friday’s game.”

Hussey said the absence of Ntini and Steyn would give Australia the edge at the WACA Ground.

“They’ve been their pivotal performers for them the whole series,” he said.

“Dale Steyn’s been remarkable, he’s played every game and if he gets rested it’s a bonus for Australia’s batters.

“Maybe it does give our middle order a little bit of a chance and confidence going into Friday’s game.”

Queensland paceman Ryan Harris and spinner Nathan Hauritz were omitted from the squad.

Australia squad: Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Nathan Bracken, Brad Haddin, Ben Hilfenhaus, James Hopes, David Hussey, Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Marsh, Shaun Tait, David Warner, Cameron White.

Byrnes, 27, will appear before a SANZAR judicial officer at Brisbane on Thursday night following an alleged incident in Queensland’s 17-5 trial loss to the Waratahs at Toowoomba on Saturday night.

He faces a charge of striking an opponent after citing commissioner Scott Nowland viewed video footage of the first half forwarded by the Waratahs.

NSW were unhappy after the ill-tempered match, accusing Byrnes of foul play.

Rising lock Chris Thomson was forced to leave the field concussed after reeling out of a lineout in the first half.

Judicial Officer Paul Tully will conduct the hearing at QRU offices on Thursday at 6pm.

Byrnes was the second-row partner of Thomson in the Junior Waratahs side last year but joined Queensland in the off-season.

Byrnes was not named in the Reds squad on Tuesday for their second trial against the Blues at Auckland on Friday night after Queensland welcomed back the majority of their Wallabies contingent.

The Reds will be in New Zealand at the time of the hearing.

But a Queensland spokesman said on Tuesday: “We won’t comment other than we will give Adam every assistance at the hearing”.

In a replay of the 2007 grand final won 6-0 by the Victory, Adelaide will then head to the Telstra Dome for the return leg the following Saturday, with the winner to qualify directly for the decider.

The winner of the major semi-final will host the grand final.

Melbourne and Adelaide both finished the regular season on 38 points, with the Victory taking the premier’s plate for the second time in four years on number of goals scored, banging in 39 to Adelaide’s 31.

In the minor semi-final first leg, fourth-placed Central Coast will welcome the third-placed Queensland Roar to Bluetongue Stadium on Friday, February 6.

The Queenslanders will then host the Mariners in the return leg at Suncorp Stadium seven days later.

The loser of the major semi-final will host the preliminary final on February 21 against the winner over the two legs between Queensland Roar and Central Coast.

Old school forward John Barber, who played for NSW in 1971 against the legendary Arthur Beetson, believes the inexperienced but talent-stacked Taylor holds the key to the Broncos’ 2009 premiership fortunes.

He also believes, if used correctly in the opening rounds, the hulking 20-year-old forward could burst onto the State of Origin scene as a player Queensland could build future packs around with veteran props Petero Civoniceva and Steve Price in the twilight of their careers.

“I think they’re sitting on something special and I think they (Broncos) know it,” said Barber who played first grade in Newcastle aged 18.

“With his size and skill he can put the fear of god into the edge defence.”

Barber said Beetson was tough enough to pound out the hard yards but played on the edge of the ruck and he sees the same qualities in Taylor.

“He (Beetson) was a big man with a bit of footwork who could unload under pressure,” said Barber, qualified to comment on Taylor after coaching the likes of Origin and Test players Wally Fullerton-Smith, Trevor Gillmeister, Bryan Niebling, Steve Walters and Paul Khan.

“Taylor could be the new hero for Brisbane and Queensland fans to hang their hat on.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that Locky (Darren Lockyer) will be an immortal in 10 years time but he’s not going to be around forever.

“Brisbane have this wonderful backline and will get along when he goes.

“Their problem will be creativity in the forwards because they haven’t got it.

“But they’ve got it with this bloke.

“There’s a lot of players out there but ninety-nine per cent can’t do what this kid can do.”

Barber said with his “Beetson like” abilities with the ball, Taylor should be heavily involved in plays when Brisbane attack the line.

“If he can poke his head through the line a few times and lay on a couple of passes that lead to tries he’ll win them some games,” he said.

“If he can offload a ball off the ground to Karmichael Hunt for a try, then that’s how they should use him.”

Barber said Brisbane had to be prepared to accept a few errors in Taylor’s game.

Taylor, from Blackwater, has been Brisbane’s “boom” player for the past two seasons.

He was something of a “problem child” for former coach Wayne Bennett who wanted to see changes in his attitude despite constant calls to play him more.

Former NSW and Australia Test prop Steve Roach was so taken by his talents last season he called on the Broncos to sign the youngster for life.

But Brisbane took a gamble and signed him to a one year deal until the end of 2009.

With Origin prop Ben Hannant joining the Bulldogs Taylor will get an opportunity under incoming coach Ivan Henjak to realise his potential.

Henjak is certain to unleash the 115kg prop early with Brisbane facing a daunting start to 2009 with opening clashes with the Cowboys, Melbourne, Warriors and St George Illawarra, now coached by Bennett.

Meanwhile Justin Hodges is set to return to training tomorrow following six weeks of soul searching.

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Not only does the jersey colour change but, by a quirk of fate, the new Reds flanker will line up against his old team in his old home town.

“It’s quite funny really, to be up against them straight away, I guess get all the demons out straight away,” Braid told AAP on Monday.

“It will be quite weird … playing in Auckland and not being in the home team.

“At least I know how they go, how they play, and hopefully they take it easy on me.”

Although it’s only a Super 14 pre-season trial, there’s little chance of that for Braid who left Auckland to become Queensland’s inaugural marquee international.

While he received Auckland’s good wishes on his surprise switch, the 27-year-old expects the same sort of reception another former Blues forward, Ali Williams, received on his return when playing for the Crusaders last year.

“I guess the position I’m in will make them want to target me even more as I’ll try and get in there and steal a bit of ball,” he said.

“I’ll be in position to take a few shots from them.

“It will be a bit of feeling like when we played against Ali Williams last year, there was a fair bit of noise the first few times when he ran the ball up.

“It will be good for when we play them in the competition game (on April 25), when all the pressure’s on and I won’t have to think about coming up against the old team.”

Braid hasn’t received any pre-match sledges from old mates yet but he knows they will come at Waitakere Stadium.

“They haven’t got my Australian number,” Braid said. “(But) I bumped into a few mates when I was back over there at Christmas time and there were a few friendly jibes.”

After playing the last his five Tests for New Zealand against Australia in July before being cast off for the rest of the Tri-Nations as Richie McCaw returned from injury, Braid made the call to escape McCaw’s shadow.

His two-year Queensland deal includes an option in his favour after the 2009 Super 14, which could see him back in Auckland later this year.

But the super-fit ball scavenger is feeling refreshed and rejuvenated by the change of environment.

His experience and work ethic has also seen him immediately inducted into the Reds leadership group.

“I’m really enjoying it so far,” he said. “I’d been in Auckland for eight years, since I was in school pretty much, so it’s been good to be in a totally new group of guys and they’re a good bunch.”

Braid will be one of 10 Queensland top-liners named on Tuesday to play their first game of the year after being rested from the 17-5 loss to NSW on Saturday night.

The Reds will also have a new captain with prop Greg Holmes in line to take over from No.8 Leroy Houston, before Berrick Barnes returns to the helm against the Western Force on February 5.