Queensland Reds flyer Tim Ryan will play his first game of the season for Brothers on Saturday in the Sumo Energy Hospital Cup.
Ryan’s excellent form netted eight tries for the Reds during Super Rugby Pacific and must have pushed his name into conversations around squad selection for the Wallabies.
Ryan will be on the wing against premiers Bond University on the Gold Coast in a 4:05pm game as this tightly-contested season hits the closing two months.
Front-runners Brothers will also welcome back backrower Brad Hemopo and hooker Dom Fraser in the pack. Unfortunately, Reds lock Hamish Muller is sidelined long-term after knee surgery.
Reds Vaiuta Latu and Charlie Brosnan beef up the Brothers pack while prop George Blake will do the same for the Bull Sharks.
Hooker Theo Fourie has returned from the US with a Major League Rugby Championship with the undefeated Chicago Hounds. He will rest a shoulder niggle this weekend before becoming available to the Brethren.
“Bond Uni never give up from the kick-off to the final minute. Guys like Rhys Sheriff are mad competitors,” Brothers coach Ben McCormack said.
“This is a bit of a danger game. We really haven’t played for three weeks (with two byes) and we know Bond are in a dog fight for a semi-final spot.”
While the fourth-placed Bull Sharks have run hot and cold with five wins and six losses, McCormack has analysed their deeper strengths.
“They have the best ball retention from the breakdown of any team, their speed of ruck is high and they are right near the top with the number of offloads they make so they play a game that can hurt you," he said.
Only Brothers (47 points) have breathing space at the top of the ladder with Norths (36), Easts (34), Bond (34), in-form Wests (34), University of Queensland (31) and Souths (29) all in the hunt for top four spots.
In Saturday’s other matches, GPS host Wests at Yoku Road, where prop Massimo De Lutiis will play for the Bulldogs, Souths need a scalp at Courtney Field when they play Norths and Ben Volavola's Sunnybank are at home to UQ.
