Tom Lynagh has been tipped to spark the Queensland Reds in his long-awaited return to rugby union.
Having only tasted 18 minutes of action during the Reds’ 2026 Super Rugby Pacific campaign due to calf and hamstring injuries, flyhalf Lynagh will start for Queensland against Western Force in Saturday’s opening-round Super Rugby AUS clash at Ballymore.
Winger Lachie Anderson, who has been named Reds skipper for the month-long competition, said Lynagh had that “extra step about him” on the training paddock in recent weeks.
“He started to get that confidence back in his body,” Anderson said of the Wallabies playmaker.
“On the training field, it’s really coming through with how confident he is out there directing the show. He’s really stepped up.
“I love seeing him like that. He’s a phenomenal athlete, and the fact that we can have him here for this competition where he can get some minutes and build some resilience but also set him up for hopefully higher things, I’m really excited for Tommy.
“It’s awesome to see him enjoying his rugby back on the field and confident again.”
The Force outfit will include former rugby league star Zac Lomax, but the Reds are not preoccupied with the presence of the former NSW State of Origin winger, who will start in the centres on Saturday.
“Zac’s a world-class name, he’s a good athlete, but we’ve focused on what we’re bringing in these four walls. We’ve got some great talent there,” Anderson said.
“We haven’t really focused to much on what they’re going to bring but rather what we can do and what we’ve been doing in training.”
The match will be new Queensland coach Vern Cotter’s first game in charge since replacing former Reds mentor Les Kiss, who is now at the helm of the Wallabies.
“With new coaches in the building, there are a few changes,” Anderson said.
“It’s great to see how that will work in a game situation.”
Originally published as Returning star Tom Lynagh set to ‘direct the show’ for Queensland Reds