Missing Mafi's Force career on the line
The Super Rugby career of Western Force winger Alfi Mafi is hanging in the balance after a number of disciplinary issues.
Club management have had talks with Mafi and a decision on his future could be made today.
He has not trained with teammates this week after being dumped from the side that lost to the Brumbies last Saturday.
The Force said Mafi had breached team standards and the indiscretion was an "internal matter". He had been a reserve against the Hurricanes the previous week.
Mafi, 24, joined the Force in 2010 after stints with the NSW Waratahs and the Brumbies. He has been one of their top performers this year and his five tries put him among the leading scorers in the competition.
Meanwhile, the Force are preparing for an all-out assault at nib Stadium on Saturday from a fired-up Reds team bent on revenge for a shock early-season defeat inflicted on them in Brisbane.
The Force were rank outsiders when they embarrassed the Reds 19-12 in March in their first Super Rugby victory at Suncorp Stadium and are the only team to have beaten the Reds at home this season.
Force winger Patrick Dellit said they were expecting the Reds to be looking for payback.
"I'm sure they'll be fired up. They think they owe us one," he said.
"When we went to Queensland they thought they were going to walk over us.
"They were expecting to run over the top of us and the fact that we beat them at Suncorp for the first time in our club's history … I'm sure they'll take us a bit more cautiously this time.
"When we beat them last time I'm sure that got up their nose a fair bit, and they'll be looking to get one up on us. We know they'll come out firing, but we want to get up and show our supporters what we can do."
The Reds have overhauled their front row and openside flanker Beau Robinson has been recalled to the bench.
Prop Albert Anae will make his run-on debut at loosehead with Wallabies front-rower James Slipper on the bench in one of three changes to the starting team that beat the Blues 12-11 last weekend.
Veteran Greg Holmes will pack down at tighthead and winger Dom Shipperley replaces injured Rod Davies.
Queensland Reds: *Jono Lance, Dom Shipperley, Anthony Faingaa, Ben Tapuai, Digby Ioane, Quade Cooper, Will Genia; Jake Schatz, Liam Gill, Ed Quirk, James Horwill (capt), Rob Simmons, Greg Holmes, Saia Faingaa, Albert Anae *. Reserves: *James Hanson, James Slipper, Ed O'Donoghue, Beau Robinson, Ben Lucas, Chris Feauai-Sautia.
