Queensland's coaching staff face an exciting conundrum in 2025
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After a season of highs and lows in equal measure, the Queensland Reds are expected to be one of Australia's top performers in 2025.
Les Kiss' maiden year in charge produced some of 2024's most memorable moments, but ultimately failed to improve on their 2022 and 2023 quarter final exits.
Check out rugby.com.au's breakdown of every Super Rugby Pacific squad for 2025.
Here's five key talking points for the Queensland Reds heading into Super Rugby Pacific 2025.
Under Kiss, the Reds turned around their 5-9 regular season in 2023 to a winning 8-6 record, launching from eighth to fifth come finals.
Now facing a top-six finals system in 2025, Queensland's challenge is to flip the script on those tight defeats that cost them a home quarter final last year.
All six of the Reds' losses in Super Rugby Pacific 2024 were by nine points or less, including two heartbreaking defeats to the Hurricanes and Blues after full time, and ultimately crippled their momentum with the side unable to string more than two wins together through the season.
If Kiss' side are to become genuine title contenders, they'll need to show greater maturity in the dying minutes of those tough contests - especially on the road.
Last year, Queensland employed a co-captaincy model with flanker Liam Wright and halfback Tate McDermott at the helm.
Though both are likely to retain key leadership roles, the meteoric rise of incumbent Wallabies skipper Harry Wilson adds another layer of intrigue and could see the armband passed around once more.
All three of Wright, McDermott and Wilson are Test captains while Jock Campbell and Ryan Smith have also led Queensland at various stages - and let's not forget both Fraser McReight and Josh Flook are touted among the club's future leaders.
Kiss' captaincy call for 2025 will also be of interest close friend and current Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt, who'll be keeping a weather eye on the Reds' leadership unit and their fortunes ahead of the Lions series.
Queensland's coaching staff face an exciting conundrum when considering their second row stocks for 2024.
Already boasting the likes of Test duo Seru Uru and Angus Blyth alongside 50-cap workhorse Ryan Smith, the Reds most now find homes for Wallaby locks Lukhan Salakai-Loto and Josh Canham after the Melbourne pair inked deals with Ballymore.
Salakaia-Loto, Uru, and to a lesser extent Canham, are all adept at blindside flanker but would then be competing with Liam Wright and rising backrow duo John Bryant and Joe Brial.
Simply put, the Reds' lock-six stocks are stacked and Queensland's Hospital Cup competition will have more than a few Wallaby forwards running around in clubland next year.
If the Reds thought their forward selections would be tough, spare a thought for a stacked backline bolstered by Filipo Daugunu, Lachie Anderson, Mason Gordon, ex-Crusader Heremaia Murray and Shute Shield veteran Jude Gibbs.
All five found new homes in Brisbane during the off-season but where they'll find themselves on the paddock remains a mystery - particularly following the departure of two Wallabies
When fit, Daugunu is one of Australia's best centre-wing options and could easily slot into the edge vacated by Suliasi Vunivalu (La Rochelle) while the exits of Jordan Petaia (NFL), Taj Annan (league) Floyd Aubrey (league) and Mac Grealy (Western Force) present opportunities for a versatile backline cover.
A wing battle between Daugunu, Anderson, Murray and highlight-reel rookie Tim Ryan looms likely while Gordon and Gibbs will have their work cut out to crack the Reds playmaking stocks.
Reds fans won't like to admit this but Queensland has played second fiddle to ACT as Australia's top side since Super Rugby went Pacific - and well beyond that.
If you thought their 1-4 record against the Brumbies since 2022 was poor form, remember the Reds won just one of 16 games between 1996 and 2010 before a seven-penalty goal haul from Quade Cooper broke the drought in Queensland's 2011 title year.
To this day, the ledger still heavily favours ACT - the Brumbies have won 31 of their 45 encounters - and back-to-back losses at Suncorp Stadium in 2023 (52-24) and 2024 (20-19) were equally galling for the Brisbane crowd.
Rounds 10 (home) and 14 (away) against the Brumbies aren't just key to Queensland's finals hopes - they're opportunities to shake the bridesmaid tag and lay claim to being Australia's top side.
