Queensland playmaking contender Ben Lucas doesn’t mind being the Reds’ Mr Fix-It but he’s ready to lose his tag as the “nearly man” of Australian rugby.

Lucas, who went agonisingly close to making the past two World Cup squads, has a prime chance to push his way into the Super Rugby spotlight when he trials in Quade Cooper’s five-eighth position against the Brumbies on Saturday night.

Fellow No.10 contender Mike Harris will start the pre-season encounter at Cairns but Lucas will play the second half in a stronger team – significantly including Test halfback Will Genia.

While the taller Harris has been seen as the favourite to replace Cooper (knee) for the first six rounds, it shouldn’t surprise if the nod goes to the nuggety utility.

It was only two years ago that Lucas spent the entire 2010 pre-season running at No.10 and impressed coach Ewen McKenzie, who sees him as a great team man, when Cooper was sidelined for disciplinary reasons.

While it’s taken him time to get used to the role again, the 24-year-old is confident of steering the Reds around outside schoolboys halves partner Genia.

“It is coming along and obviously having trained there back then and playing 10 earlier in my career helps and makes it easier to learn,” Lucas told AAP.

Since breaking through for the Reds in 2008, the flyhalf-turned-halfback has been hemmed in behind Genia and has been forced to adapt into an able back-up at No.s 9, 10 and 15.

That versatility helped him finally gain a Wallabies call-up for last year’s Spring Tour where, like the rest of his career, he was poised to earn a Test cap which never came.

On the bench for the 24-18 win over Wales in Cardiff, he watched Genia play out the whole 80 minutes.

“I think I got called to warm up when there was about 15 minutes to go,” he told AAP.

“I probably warmed up for 10 minutes.

“I think Robbie (Deans) wanted me to earn it a bit more.

“I’ve just got to keep doing what I’m doing and keep learning and go from there.”

Wallabies backrower Scott Higginbotham (back) is a late withdrawal for the Reds.

While Queensland are playing their first match of 2012, the new-look Brumbies are coming off a 25-0 trial win over the Western Force in Darwin.

Coach Jake White will again run two separate teams in the tropical heat, with his strongest line-up to match it with the Reds strongest, and also order his team to take their penalty goals.