Departing Waratahs back Berrick Barnes believes his franchise can win Super Rugby title in 2014

BERRICK Barnes believes the Waratahs can break one of the longest sporting droughts in the country by winning next year's title.

BERRICK Barnes believes NSW Waratahs can break one of the longest sporting droughts in the country by winning next year's Super Rugby title, even though he won't be there.

Japan-bound Barnes and a host of Waratahs play their final games for the club on Saturday night, departing before NSW can end the near two-decade stretch without winning the title.

Next year will be Super Rugby's 19th season and the Waratahs must find a way to win without internationals Barnes, Drew Mitchell (France) and Sitaleki Timani (France), along with hooker John Ulugia (France), winger Tom Kingston and backrower Lopeti Timani (both Melbourne Rebels), centre Tom Carter (retiring).

The futures of Lachie Turner, Damien Fitzpatrick, Grayson Hart and Mitchell Chapman are also likely to be elsewhere.

"The ironies of life - chances are we'll win the comp next year and I won't be here,'' Barnes said.

"Put some money on them now mate, we've got the ability here to do that, you need a lot of stars to fall in line for that to happen.

"I definitely think we are better than we were last year and that's shown."

Barnes said mass departures reflected the nature of professionalism.

Berrick Barnes

"Talk about club loyalty, it's a pretty rare thing,'' Barnes said.

"There's not a lot of loyalty from clubs, there's not a lot of loyalty from players.

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"It's a professional game, it's becoming even more so, and the way the seasons are around the world it's changing."

NSW face rivals Queensland at ANZ Stadium and Waratahs coach Michael Cheika said: "It's a great opportunity for us to show how far we've come with our mental fortitude.

"We beat the Reds here, we're going to finish with the same amount of wins as them (nine), that's not a bad finish for us considering where we've come from last year.''

Cheika also said they would target Reds five-eighth Quade Coooper, who is eager to impress coach Ewen McKenzie, the new Wallabies coach who is expected to revive the playmaker's Test career.

"It's going to be our job to put out the fire, that's the way it is," Cheika said.

"We'll have a lot of new guys looking to impress the new boss as well. We will see what that match-up between [Bernard] Foley and Cooper brings."

Meanwhile, Barnes said he would remain available for the Wallabies until the last Bledisloe Cup match (October 20), adding he is keen to return for the 2015 World Cup after his 18-month stint with Panasonic Wild Knights.

"That's the reason I chosen Japan, why I didn't look at France or anything," Barnes said.

"I thought I want to go overseas and I'm going to do it, Japan provided the opportunity to do that, and if I felt there was something I could offer and my body was in a state where I could give it a crack then definitely.

"You go to Europe, there's no real chance of coming back before the World Cup, whereas with [Japan] you still get a chance to play a full [Super] Rugby season in 2015 and there's potentially an opportunity for you."