Queensland vice-captain Will Genia has given under-pressure coach Richard Graham unqualified support as the Reds fight to avoid falling into Super Rugby’s wooden-spoon position.
The Wallabies halfback on Thursday declared Graham had done an outstanding job in his maiden season despite the Reds’ 3-7 record which has them third last on the overall standings.
Queensland face the very real prospect of ending this weekend in dead last if they fail to snap a four-game losing streak on Sunday against the red-hot Crusaders.
They would be leapfrogged if South African strugglers the Cheetahs (at home to Western Force) or Stormers (playing the Bulls in Pretoria) win and the Reds lose.
Genia admitted the Reds were now paying the price for a drop in defensive standards and “looking too far ahead” earlier in the season.
Graham, the former Force coach who impressively took charge of the Reds defence duties last season, has found the going much tougher replacing Ewen McKenzie as Queensland boss.
But Genia indicated the new mentor had plenty of support from his playing group.
“I think Richard has done an outstanding job,” he said.
“I think he’s worked really hard, not just as a rugby coach but also as a mentor for the young blokes we have coming through.
“They have to learn how to train and play at this level and he’s done an outstanding job with helping those guys through.”
For a player who cut his teeth at provincial level when the Reds were competition easybeats from 2006 to 2009, Genia said it was crucial the team rolled with the punches and stayed tight.
“Hard work is what is going to get us out of it and back to where we want to be,” the 55-Test scrumhalf said.
“The one common thing that threaded through for the guys who remained behind and went through the successful time (2010-13), it was through hard work.
“And you can’t lose the confidence to actually play and have that sense of adventure in the game that we want to play.”
Graham, to name his side Friday, looks set to move Test lock Rob Simmons to blindside flanker to beef up Queensland’s pack against the sixth-placed Crusaders at Suncorp Stadium.
Injuries to back-rowers Liam Gill and Ed Quirk, has opened the door for Simmons to wear No.6 and Ed O’Donaghue come into the second-row.