Queensland Reds captain Tate McDermott has talked up the "vibe" around Ballymore ahead of their Super Rugby Pacific season opener, predicting coach Brad Thorn's decision to take a step back from the team will pay dividends while pledging his side will do more to unleash the attacking talents of Fijian flyer Suliasi Vunivalu.
The Reds begin their 2023 campaign against the Hurricanes in Townsville on Saturday night, the same team against which they blew a 17-0 lead during Super Round in Melbourne last year.
In the end, the Reds went on to finish seventh and were then beaten by the Crusaders in the opening week of the 2022 playoffs. But they had been ravaged by injury by that point, the true outer limits of their squad tested after James O'Connor, Taniela Tupou, Josh Flook and Alex Mafi, among others, had all seen their seasons come to an end.
While Tupou is likely to miss the entirety of this year's Super campaign after tearing his Achilles against Ireland late last year, the Reds at this point appear to have a largely clean bill of health, and McDermott says that has helped reinvigorate the club as Thorn enters his sixth year as head coach.
"I guess the difference with Thorny this year is he's got a very good relationship with [new defence coach] Phil Blake so he's looked to put a little more trust in those assistant coaches," McDermott explained.
"Jim McKay's stood away from our attack a little bit and UQ [University of Queensland] stalwart from the Brisbane club rugby scene Mick Heenan has come in, I've had a lot of time with Mick and I've got a lot of time for him as well; so I guess the trust being put in those fellas to run the defence and attack; Jimmy takes care of our counter attack and our kicking strategy; and then you've got Kane Hames who has come in and done a good job with the forwards.
"So for us that has been the difference [this year], Thorny has those guys there and his role now is freed, he's taken a step back and he can deal more with the player management side of things which is what we've kind of needed. Thorny's a very hard worker and that's exactly what we need, but I guess the difference has been the detail has been there with these coaches.
"And what's happening with the Reds at the moment, and particularly at Ballymore [ground renovation], is that there is a really good vibe. We don't have the injury ward we had last year, we've got the players back, and the sense of optimism that Eddie [Jones] provided for a lot those guys who were in around the fringe and were not really playing, they have come to life and we're in a good space."
Jones' unveiling as Wallabies coach -- Dave Rennie was unceremoniously sacked just hours before in January -- has certainly wiped the slate clean, as McDermott noted, for a vast array of Australia players who had slipped down the pecking order under the Kiwi.
Reds players Harry Wilson, James O'Connor and Vunivalu were three such individuals, with the Fijian winger seeing just two minutes of Test action against England before the trio was later left out of Australia's spring tour squad.
While his stint in rugby has been dominated by a succession of hamstring injuries, Vunivalu has shown glimpses of his ability with the ball, a try against the Crusaders in Christchurch arguably his most memorable contribution yet.
McDermott says the responsibility of getting the ball into Vunivalu's hands more often has to be a two-way street, but the skipper is confident the Fijian can have his most impactful season yet.
"Suli, we just need to get the ball to him. Like all Fijians you give them the ball and they're sensational," McDermott told ESPN. "We'll continue to work on ways to get Suli into the game, without a doubt.
"He's too good to stand out there and expect to get the ball. So he'll work off his wing, that's probably his first [work-on], and then the other one is just building our plays around him.
"He's talented and we know that, so we've got to give him opportunities."
Flook, meanwhile, will be looking to push his way into a crowded group of Wallabies outside backs after he had been mentioned in conversations before injury derailed his 2022 season completely.
"With Flookey you know what you're going to get in defence, he's a rock, that's his strength, he's a very good reader of the ball and a very good tackler as well," McDermott told ESPN.
"Flookey's growth has come on the other side of the ball in attack, he's a big man, he can beat that defender and he's brought a little bit of footwork to his game as well with the distribution side.
"So he's become a whole-rounded footy player, which is what we knew would come over time, he's just done it a little sooner than expected, he's going to be really good for us."
Thorn recently declared that he was happy the Waratahs were garnering much of the Australian focus ahead of the season kick-off, saying they're the team "everyone's talking about."
McDermott echoed his coach's sentiments, but the skipper is certainly bullish about his team's prospects as they chase an improvement on last year's seventh-place finish.
"I don't think we deserve expectations after last year's backend," McDermott said. "So if they're talking about Brumbies [or] Tahs, good on them, they always do. We love it, there's no pressure, no one expects us to perform anyway.
"All Queensland sides [are underdogs], it's exactly the same and this is no different. We're not using it as motivation, I couldn't care less what they're doing to be honest. It's about us, and we need to make sure that everyone in the squad is thinking how Queensland can get better, how can we improve, and this preseason's been as good as any we've done."