Tom Lynagh might have the inside line but Harry McLaughlin-Phillips will get the last crack as Reds' starting flyhalf before their Super Rugby Pacific opener against Moana Pasifika.
McLaughlin-Phillips, 20, has been handed the keys against Ulster ahead of Lynagh, 21, in Queensland's final pre-season tour clash with Les Kiss backing last year's Junior World Championship star to deliver in Belfast.
The Queensland Reds v Ulster pre-season clash is available for livestream here.
It's a bold call to elevate McLaughlin-Phillips over his Test-capped teammate but Kiss is confident the change will benefit both playmakers after the Reds' 82-21 thrashing of Bristol last week.
“Both Harry and Tom were excellent at Ashton Gate,” Kiss said.
“For two young 10s, they took the game on and gave our backs plenty of time in space. They also kicked very well in general play, to put our forwards on the front foot, and from the tee.
“Harry will relish the chance to play from the start in front of a fanbase that brings exceptional support for their team, and Tom can be injected later in the game to great effect."
Speaking with rugby.com.au ahead of Queensland's tour, McLaughlin-Phillips shared his desire to push on from his debut Super Rugby Pacific season into a regular starter ahead of teammates Lynagh and Jude Gibbs.
"With Lawson (Creighton) and Rabs (James O'Connor) going away, Jude's come in and pushing us hard so the three of us are just going to have to battle it out this season and see what happens," McLaughlin-Phillips told rugby.com.au.
"Obviously I want that 10 jersey and that's what I'm turning up every day to get. That's just the way sport works, everyone's competing with each other.
"It's just about the mindset - you want the team to be as good as possible right. Each week, you don't know which team gets picked so you've got to be prepared and prepare each other as best as possible.
"On the field, when it's 15 v 15 you're competing as hard as you can but off the field you're working together, reviewing together, helping each other and pushing each other to be better all the time."
While McLaughlin-Phillips' physicality shone across limited minutes in 2024, the young playmaker has worked to develop his finer skills with rising England and Northampton star Fin Smith among his regular tapes for review.
"The way they play, there's a bit more emphasis on game control and the way he (Fin Smith) handles kicking and momentum in a game, I think it brings the best out of every else in the team and that something I've tried to take on and apply at training.
"(Queensland assistant coach) Brad Davis has been really helpful in growing my decision making and game management skills, just the feel of how we're going, you know.
"Is the ball slowing down? Are we going to get in trouble here? How can we transfer pressure through a kick and what are the different ways we can do that across the field?"
"I think of myself as probably a run-first option and having the ability to kick when needed is something, so that's been my biggest learning over the past 18 months - that momentum, control, the management of our team through kicking."
A clinical showing against Irish powerhouse Ulster - currently ninth on the URC ladder and still in Champions Cup contention - would go a long way to securing McLaughlin-Phillips' berth in a Reds' squad through the entirety of Super Rugby Pacific.
There's also plenty of incentive to crack on beyond with a July 2 British & Irish Lions appearance at Suncorp Stadium on his bucket list.
"The big goal for me is to be playing in that (Lions) Series and hopefully play well enough in Super (Rugby Pacific) to get a spot there," McLaughlin-Phillips said.
"I was at Suncorp in 2013, for both the Test and the Reds game. I remember Izzy Folau getting that double, getting picked up by George Ford, Luke Morahan's try - they were awesome games. I'd love to be involved."
