This isn’t just Round 2. This is where seasons either steady, or start to slip.
After a 36–12 season-opening loss to the Waratahs, a game that remained within reach past the hour mark, the Queensland Reds return for a Friday night match to their spiritual and competitive centre, the Suncorp Stadium in Milton.
With key Wallabies returning, combinations re-forming and a home crowd behind them, this is Queensland’s first real chance to define 2026 on their terms.
Match details
Friday, 27 February 2026
6:35pm AEST (Brisbane time)
Suncorp Stadium, Milton
Watch live on Stan Sport
The Caxton Street walk will feel different this week. Sharper. More urgent. The noise won’t be hopeful. It will be expectant.
The Context: Lessons From Sydney
The scoreline in Sydney flattered the Waratahs late. For over an hour, the Reds were in the contest. But at this level, margins harden quickly.
Captain Fraser McReight has spoken about two priorities since that night:
- managing referee dialogue in high-pressure moments
- tightening the “little moments” that accumulate over 80 minutes
There has been no talk of overhaul at Ballymore — only improvement.
Across the competition, the benchmark has already been set. The Brumbies’ 50–24 dismantling of the Crusaders in Christchurch signalled that Australian sides can dictate terms. McReight has acknowledged it as a standard to chase, but without emotional overreach.
The Reds’ focus remains internal.
Reinforcements: Experience Returns
In Round 1, Queensland carried an injury list of 11 players, including influential Wallabies skipper Harry Wilson and both frontline flyhalves, Tom Lynagh and Carter Gordon.
This week looks different.
Wilson returns at No.8 in his seventh Super Rugby season, fresh from inclusion in World Rugby’s 2025 Dream Team of the Year. His presence restores balance to the back row.
Gordon starts at flyhalf for his Reds Super Rugby debut, as a player who first signed with the club at 17 and now gets his moment under lights at Suncorp. He partners Sunshine Coast product Louis Werchon in the halves.
Lynagh remains sidelined as coach Les Kiss maintains a measured approach following a disrupted 2025 season that included concussions and hamstring issues. The club is prioritising longevity over urgency.
Four additional Wallabies strengthen the 23-man squad, including Filipo Daugunu, Josh Nasser and Kalani Thomas off the bench.
Team List Breakdown
This is a side selected for control and physical authority.
Front Row:
Aidan Ross, Matt Faessler and Zane Nonggorr form an all-Wallabies trio capable of setting scrum tone early. Jeffery Toomaga-Allen reinforces the platform late.
Second Row:
Josh Canham and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto provide height and edge at lineout and in contact.
Back Row:
Joe Brial, Fraser McReight (c) and Harry Wilson — breakdown pressure, defensive volume and carry power in balance.
Halves:
Werchon’s tempo and Gordon’s tactical kicking will dictate field position.
Midfield and Backfield:
Hunter Paisami and Josh Flook provide directness through the middle, while Jock Campbell’s composure at fullback remains essential against a Highlanders side known for variation.
Impact Bench:
Daugunu offers finishing strike. Harry McLaughlin-Phillips provides flexibility at No.10. Kalani Thomas is capable of shifting momentum late.
This is not experimentation. It is reinforcement.
Highlanders Bring Continuity and Experience Off the Bench
The Highlanders arrive in Brisbane backing continuity for their first away game of the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season.
Head coach Jamie Joseph has made just two changes to the starting XV that fell four points short in a narrow loss to the Chiefs in Round Two.
Will Stodart has been promoted to the starting side with Oliver Haig shifting to the bench, while Adam Lennox comes into the No.9 jersey and Folau Fakatava moves to the reserves.
The bigger story may be on the bench.
After Henry Bell and Josh Bartlett filled reserve front-row roles last week, Soane Vikena and Daniel Lienert-Brown are set to provide impact against Queensland. This is a clear injection of experience as Joseph looks to ensure his side finishes stronger than it started.
The Highlanders coach acknowledged the challenge awaiting in Milton.
“The Reds are coming off a bye and they’ve got a proud record at home,” Joseph said.
“Our game is growing, and we’re working hard on the small details that will help us deliver a more complete 80-minute performance. We’ll need that level of accuracy and intensity if we’re going to get the job done on Friday,” he added.
For a side that pushed the Chiefs deep into the contest, the message is clear: Brisbane is about precision across the full 80.
Why Suncorp Matters
The Reds have won 10 of their 14 matches at Suncorp Stadium across the 2024 and 2025 seasons in Super Rugby Pacific.
The venue compresses noise. Momentum builds quickly. Visiting teams feel pressure compound.
Hooker Matt Faessler described it this week as a “unique ecosystem” — the Caxton Street run-in, the proximity of the crowd, the surge once Queensland gain ascendancy.
For both sides seeking early-season traction, there is no better stage.
The Run Ahead
Friday is the immediate focus, but the schedule sharpens quickly: (All schedules as of press time)
- ACT Brumbies (away) – Saturday, 7 March, 6:35pm
- Waratahs (home) – Friday, 14 March, 6:35pm
- Fijian Drua (away) – 21 March, 1:35pm
That stretch will shape the narrative of the opening month.
A win over the Highlanders does more than level the ledger. It builds authority before facing Australian heavyweights again.
The Stakes
The Reds have reached the semi-finals in each of the past two seasons. The ambition in 2026 is to go further.
The Waratahs sit unbeaten. The Brumbies have fired an early statement.
Queensland’s response begins in Milton.
Kick-off is 6:35pm AEST at Suncorp Stadium, streaming live on Stan Sport.
By full-time on Friday night, we’ll know whether this was simply a home fixture, or the moment the Reds re-established their edge.
Under lights. At Suncorp. With the season waiting.
Published 26-February-2026
