Kiwi favourite Mike Harris has the first crack at Quade Cooper's No.10 jersey but Wallabies tourist Ben Lucas will fight him all the way to Queensland's Super Rugby opener against NSW.
Reds coach Ewen McKenzie will start the robust Harris at five-eighth in Saturday night's trial against the Brumbies in Cairns, with utility back Lucas to replace him at half-time.
Since Cooper ruptured knee ligaments at the World Cup in October, Harris has been seen as the natural replacement on the basis of his 2011 breakthrough at inside centre.
But Lucas has also impressed coaches in the pre-season and can fill the dual playmaking and goalkicking role by outpointing the former New Zealand under 20 representative in trials against the Brumbies and Force.
Given the season kicks off with three interstate derbies, highlighted by the February 25 clash with the Waratahs, McKenzie has stressed he'll select the form No.10 from the two auditions.
''Training's something you can go with but in the end there's nothing like the heat of battle. When it's a fair dinkum game you can assess it best from that and that's what we'll do,'' McKenzie said yesterday.
Dallan Murphy, Dom Shipperley, Jono Lance, Ben Tapuai, Chris Feauai-Sautia, Mike Harris, Nick Frisby; Radike Samo, Beau Robinson, Eddie Quirk, Adam Wallace-Harrison, Rob Simmons, Greg Holmes, Albert Anae, Ben Daley (capt). Res: Kevin Davis, James Hanson, Scott Higginbotham, James Horwill, Digby Ioane, Saia Faingaa, Will Genia, Liam Gill, Ben Lucas, Luke Morahan, Jake Schatz, Guy Shepherdson, James Slipper, Ulupano Seuteni, Aidan Toua.
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