The Hottest 50 of Queensland Rugby is a first-time take on assessing who’s hot and who’s hotter among rugby union players with links to Queensland.

It’s not a strict countdown of the “best” but a judgement on performance, rising star quality, impact on the code at large, breakthrough status, legacy, cred for a World Cup mark this year and gut feeling.

An exciting young player on the rise in his career may earn a higher spot in these power rankings than a reliable six-season stalwart.

It’s also not just a list of players in the Queensland Reds squad when Queensland products like Sam Johnson (Scotland) are playing for other nations and Quade Cooper (Melbourne Rebels) is re-igniting his career with another Super Rugby side.

The rise of women’s rugby with the Queensland flavour to Australia’s classy Olympic sevens gold medallists and the Wallaroos made it essential to peg female players in the list.

You can flip either way on whether superstar Israel Folau qualifies for this list.

He’s just signed a new four-year deal to play on with the NSW Waratahs until the end of 2022 which will compute to a decade in sky blue as a rugby player.

On the other hand, he went to a state high school in Queensland which didn’t offer rugby as an option.

The former Queensland State of Origin finisher still wears a maroon jersey when sitting down to watch Origin rugby league matches on TV when touring with the Wallabies.

You’ll have to follow our five-part countdown to No.1 to find out if Izzy qualifies.

40. EMMA SYKES

The Sunshine Coast product was the star for the Aussies in the recent final of the Sydney Sevens. A chip-and-regather for one try and a neat stutter-step to score a second showed the variety in the young playmaker’s game. At just 20, Sykes is one of the new wave in sevens.

The inspiration gained from watching Australia’s march to the sevens gold medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016 was very real.

She was late for school that morning after taking in the high on TV.

39. JONO LANCE

Has carved out a productive career and is plying his trade with the Worcester Warriors in the English Premiership. Success came early when a member of the Queensland Reds team which won the 2011 Super Rugby title. Stints with the NSW Waratahs and Western Force followed and he’d actually linked with the Melbourne Rebels (without playing a game) before flipping back to the Reds last year.

He had mixed success for the Reds at flyhalf and fullback last year. There wasn’t a better, low-tackling No.10 anywhere and his goalkicking, at around 80 per cent, was excellent. His spark as a playmaker was patchy.

38. BEN MOWEN

At 34, the former Wallabies skipper is coming to the end of his top-level career with the Pau club in the French Top 14.

He played his 15 Tests in a six-month sprint in 2013 when he won a surprise elevation to the captaincy.

The upbeat lifestyle and financial security of France has been his base for five seasons.

The tall backrower is still an Easts Tiger at heart.

On one brief return visit to Easts, he presented one of his Wallaby jerseys to his junior club and signed it “Tiger for Life.”

Former club president Tim Stoddart liked the tone so much he made it the new motto for the club’s juniors and the quote now adorns the clubhouse.

37. FILIPO DAUGUNU

The Fijian flyer was one of the uplifting stories for the Queensland Reds last year.

He arrived unheralded in a pair of thongs at Brisbane Airport in late 2016, excelled for Wests and Queensland Country in 2017 and was signed to a Reds contract in 2018.

A wonderfully instinctive mover who is deadly on counter-attack, Daugunu took to Super Rugby with style.

He scored six tries in 14 games for the Reds last season and will be a dynamic factor again this year if he can grab one of the highly competitive wing spots.

36. MOSES SOROVI

The livewire halfback wore the Reds’ Indigenous jersey with particular pride last year.

“There are lots of indigenous talents out there who just need the opportunities,” Sorovi says.

He’s a perfect example. There was never rugby to play on tiny Yam Island in the Torres Strait but attending St Peters Lutheran College allowed him to polish the natural skills the Reds are now backing.

Sorovi scooted away for a try against the Sunwolves to end last season and the Reds need more of that running game to make a mark on this Super Rugby season.

35. JP and RUAN SMITH

When they attended Toowoomba Grammar School some teachers could not tell them apart and swapping of classes was part of their larrikin ways. The South African-born twins are inseparable so we won’t create any family squabbles and list them together.

Both made a big impression at the Queensland Reds in their first season last year and are vital cogs for 2019.

Loosehead prop JP is a powerhouse at scrum time and part of the vaunted Reds front-row with Taniela Tupou and Brandon Paenga-Amosa.

Tighthead Ruan will back-up Tupou and keeps the energy up when he runs on.

Invite the pair to your next barbecue now they’ve launched BrosBraai to put the finest Aussie-made Boerewors on your grill.

34. BERRICK BARNES

The former Reds and Waratahs playmaker now calls Japan home in a rugby sense. He’s been a central figure for former Wallabies coach Robbie Deans in elevating Panasonic Wild Knights to one of the best teams in Japan.

Now 32, it has been a productive trophy-winning time in Barnes’ career after the effort he put in to earn 51 Tests for the Wallabies.

The now-paused Brisbane Global Rugby Tens were an unexpected chance for Barnes to get back to his home town to play at Suncorp Stadium one last time.

33. PAUL ALO-EMILE

His scrummaging skills might have made a fine fit in a Wallabies squad but the strongly-built prop decided to pursue a career in Europe.

His 130kg-plus frame is in the thick of the action for French club Stade Francais and he passionately represents Samoa at international level.

The Brisbane State High product has now played 10 Tests and is a front-line figure for Samoa’s World Cup plans.

32. BEN TOOLIS

The towering, long-haired lock is Brisbane born but is making a big mark with Scotland.

He now has 15 Tests to his name and is earmarked for the World Cup in Japan later this year.

It has all made worthwhile his decision to pursue a career in Scotland, where his mum was born, after playing his early rugby with Marist College, Ashgrove and GPS in Brisbane

He proudly represented Australia at Under-20s in volleyball so spring for the lineouts has always been there.

31. BRANDON PAENGA-AMOSA

The engaging hooker was a wonderful success story in 2018. The former garbo came from the clouds to win a regular Reds spot and performed so capably he became a Wallaby.

He was a garbo straight out of school and confronted by 4am starts.

He’s convinced swinging bins on the tough streets of inner Sydney built the hard inner edge for his stunning rise.

Strong scrummaging is a core asset and he adds leg-driving runs and hustle around the field. The World Cup is a major target.

■ PART ONE: Jim Tucker counts down 50-41

TOMORROW: The countdown continues ... Nos. 21-30