Chris Latham will miss a fairytale swansong, Digby Ioane faces suspension and a shattered, injury-riddled Queensland are ripe for the picking.
But incoming Australia coach Robbie Deans has delivered a stern warning to New South Wales.
The rag-tag Reds will field one of their most inexperienced teams in Super rugby history when they attempt to deny the Waratahs a play-off berth in Saturday night's interstate grudge match.
They must draw on their famed passion to bounce back from a heart-breaking 27-21 loss to Deans' table-topping Crusaders at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night - a third close loss in a row.
But Deans has no doubts that's exactly what Queensland will do after showing outstanding spirit and improvement to lead his star-studded Crusaders until the 75th minute.
“They will be up for next week,” he said. “The way the Reds are playing it will take a good performance to stop them. It will be a great game.”
Latham is waiting on scan results to determine the seriousness of his torn pectoral muscle but he's no chance to play third-placed NSW and will forever be stranded on 99 Super caps for the Reds.
The Queensland Rugby Union have also lost their major drawcard for their biggest game of the year as a result of the Wallabies fullback's failed attempt to prevent winger Kade Poki crashing over for an early try.
“That's the end of one of the greatest careers in the Reds jersey,” coach Phil Mooney said. “Unfortunately not everyone gets a fairytale send-off.”
Mooney acknowledged it would be a big ask for his players to recover fully from such an emotional loss to wrest back the Bob Templeton Cup.
“It's one of those challenges that as a Queensland rugby team you love, though,” he said.
“We certainly respect what the Waratahs have done this year but we're very keen to get out there and play them no matter who's there.
“Guys like (David Croft), it's his last game, and for other guys it's their last games, and it's a bonus it is the Waratahs we play.
“We could potentially be knocking them out of the semi-finals.”
As well as veteran flanker Croft, it will also definitely be a farewell for Stephen Moore (Brumbies) and most probably for Rodney Blake, Clinton Schifcofske and Morgan Turinui who are expected to head overseas.
Fingers are crossed France-bound Sam Cordingley will return from a lingering calf problem but there's far less chance of seeing Test forwards Hugh McMeniman (ankle) and Greg Holmes (knee), and none for John Roe (shoulder surgery).
Mooney rated each one of his players as “absolutely outstanding” as they defended a 21-8 lead brilliantly against an unrelenting attack and only cracked when Ioane (spear tackle) and then Ben Lucas were sin-binned at the death.
“The Crusaders had all the footy, they swamped us, we kept getting up and making tackles and at the end of the day it was just weight of possession and numbers (that won the game),” he said.
“That's as good as it gets defensively.”
Apart from the result and “loose” refereeing of South African Mark Lawrence, the only disappointment Mooney showed was in hooker Moore's last-gasp brain explosion in taking a disastrous quick tap.
“He put all his chips on the table and the big broom came out and swept them away,” Mooney said.
