Queensland Reds squad trio Tom Robinson, Jack Brady and Zac Hough will bolster University of Queensland when the Sumo Energy Hospital Cup kicks off on Saturday afternoon.
Having 13 players in all feed back into club teams from the Reds squad adds quality and intrigue to an opening round where the form lines of a fresh season can be established.
UQ will need all their firepower against premiers Bond University on the Gold Coast so three additions to the pack are timely.
"The real business starts now with the Hospital Cup. The boys love going back to their clubs and playing. That just helps us get better and makes the competition better too," Reds Head Coach Les Kiss said.
The versatile Robinson will play at openside for UQ and will come up against classy Bull Shark Kohan Herbert.
New UQ coach Jim McKay has installed Joey Caputo at flyhalf. Caputo has a strong understanding of the attacking game style that McKay wants to implement because their partnership produced a premiership for Noosa Dolphins on the Sunshine Coast last year.
"Jim is well known for his ability to successfully coach a positive brand of rugby. We've seen it in the trials already with the way UQ are throwing it around and keeping the ball alive," Bond University coach Mick Heenan said.
McKay has also thrown 130kg-plus of turmoil into the centres with former Wallaby winger Taqele Naiyaravoro starting. A single tackler can only hope to slow him. He requires double-teaming or he'll be dangling a free arm for one-handed offloads all day.
Bond are coming off a 34-19 loss to Sydney premiers Warringah in the Australian Club Championship match in Sydney last weekend.
Back-to-back matches against Shute Shield opponents, Hunter Wildfires and Warringah, have been a benefit, Heenan said.
"We've played two big, physically imposing packs. We've stood up for the most part but for being overwhelmed physically in the second half last weekend. Being better in contact has been a work-on this week but we got a lot of benefit from these matches," Heenan said.
The Bull Sharks will start Fergus Gillan at lock after his strong showing in Sydney.
Prop Harrison Usher and fullback Heremaia Murray are both back from the Reds squad to play for the Bull Sharks. Young prop Kingsley Uys will start his career with Bond in the club's Colts 1 team and sit on the bench for second grade.
Souths will benefit from flyhalf Finn Mackay, prop Trevor King, flanker John Bryant and centre Xavier Rubens for the match against 2025 grand finalists Brothers at Crosby Park. Last year's Australia Under-18s lock Will Ross will start in Colts.
At Bottomley Park, Frankie Goldsbrough will be a strong-running factor in the centres for Easts for the match-of-the-round against Wests.
At Courtney Field, Norths will have Reds squad fullback Will McCulloch involved against Sunnybank.
New competition sponsors Sumo Energy have launched an initiative which will reward a club with $15,000 at the end of the season.
All clubs have been sent promo codes and the club with the most referrals to sign up with Sumo Energy will receive the bonus.
All Hospital Cup matches will be screened live on Stan Sport. The Easts vs Wests match will be screened free-to-air on 9GEM (and livestreamed on 9NOW).
