Jono Lance has his chance to impress Brad Thorn

After a stint at Worcester, Jono Lance has his chance to show Reds coach Brad Thorn he can be Queensland’s No 10.

Queensland Reds signing Jono Lance. Picture: QRU/Brendan Hertel

On the one hand, as it were, not too much will be expected of five-eighth Jono Lance when he ­returns to the Queensland Reds line-up tonight against the Fiji Warriors at Ballymore because he has been out nursing a broken hand.

On the other hand, he probably has played more competitive rugby than any of his teammates of late because, until he sustained the injury, he was in the front lines for Worcester in the English Premiership for about three months.

“So he would have the edge on everyone else,” surmised Reds ­assistant coach Tony McGahan. Lately, however, he has been doing everything but contact work, which has given Hamish Stewart a free run in the play­making position until now.

He stepped up there in the ­internal trial and again in the ­Brisbane Tens, impressing with his tendency to take the ball to the line.

So coach Brad Thorn would feel comfortable that he has a five-eighth he can rely on. Now it is Lance’s opportunity to demonstrate that he can offer more.

This is anything but the team that a year ago Reds fans might have anticipated would take the field for their last trial before the start of the 2018 Super Rugby ­season. There is no Quade Cooper at No 10, no Karmichael Hunt at No 15 and conceivably, there never will be again.

Nick Frisby has departed for Bordeaux, Will Genia never did get his wish granted to return to Queensland and one of the mainstays of the side, 10-year veteran Rob Simmons, is today pulling on not the familiar red jersey but the sky blue one he was taught from the cradle to hate.

As well, Pilecki Medallist ­George Smith, having survived is own wild night with the Suntory Sungoliaths, is still five Super Rugby games away from making his return from a back injury.

Yet for all that the side has a lean and hungry look to it, which is precisely the attributes that coach Brad Thorn has been trying to ­inculcate in the side.

And while the television match official might have gifted them one try, possibly two against the Chiefs at the Brisbane Tens, the fact was that the Reds had worked their way into try-scoring ­positions.

They may have been lucky with the margin of victory, 19-7, but they certainly should not feel embarrassed to have won.

One of the Tens stars for the Reds, hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa, seemingly is only eight days away from claiming his first Queensland and Super Rugby cap — something that also a year ago looked decidedly improbably, most especially because he was playing for Southern ­Districts in the Shute Shield competition.

But two exceptional National Rugby Championship seasons, the first for the Western Sydney Rams, the second for the NSW Country Eagles, saw him catapulted into the consciousness of Reds coach Brad Thorn.

Funny how dominating Thorn’s Queensland Country scrum and scoring three tries against Brisbane City will do that.

For the moment, he looks to have edged ahead of his hooking rivals Alex Mafi and Andrew Ready although, as McGahan pointed out, he is also being given valuable game time.

With Izack Rodda still making his way back from shoulder ­surgery, 2015 World Cup finalist Kane Douglas will pair with ­Lukhan Tui in the second-row, while Adam Korczyk will be ­hoping to maximise his time at openside flanker before the ­return of Smith.

Meanwhile, it’s a troubling time for tighthead Taniela Tupou who is needed at the Reds at a time when he surely wants to rush home to Tonga after his family home was flattened by the ­Cyclone Gita.