Queensland Reds squad duo Heremaia Murray and Harrison Usher will strengthen Bond University's challenge for the Australian Club Championship in Sydney on Saturday afternoon.
Fullback Murray and prop Usher have recently tuned up in Reds Development XV matches and will both hit the pinnacle club clash against Warringah in good form.
Usher's frontline role in Bond University's drought-breaking premiership win last year and his time in Sydney gives him a full appreciation of what the match means.
"To go from winning Bond Uni's first premiership to playing in our first Australian Club Championship is a massive thing for the club," Usher said.
"The match in Sydney means a lot to us, especially with our women's team playing for their own Australian Club Championship in the match before us.
"There's always that challenge of wanting to go head-to-head against a Shute Shield team."
Usher played junior rugby for Eastwood and a year for Eastern Suburbs before his move to Queensland and his development at Bond University in the Sumo Energy Hospital Cup.
"'Rat Park' is a good venue with plenty of atmosphere from that big grandstand. Everyone is looking forward to this," Usher added.
Kiwi Murray played 12 games for the Reds in 2025.
A snapshot of his game-breaking style came against the NSW Waratahs last year at Suncorp Stadium. Murray caught a kick inside his own quarter, took off and stabbed a left-foot kick into the open space left by Waratahs fullback Andrew Kellaway, who was in the sin bin.
Murray swooped on the bouncing ball and dashed over to complete an 80m strike that signalled the Reds going into overdrive for a 20-point win.
The Australian Club Championship has always been a wonderful show of the can-do attitude in clubland since the first of the modern era matches between the Brisbane and Sydney premiers was played between Brothers and Randwick in 1974.
There is always an art to getting the best possible teams on the field in March and the Bull Sharks have manoeuvered well.
Grand final flyhalf Luke Depiazzi is there to run the show and the pack will have three big recruits playing.
Former Souths captain Kohan Herbert and former University of Queensland captain Willy Rua will both play in the backrow while Kiwi Wilson Parata will add grunt at lock.
The Bull Sharks have prepared with a trial against Sunnybank in Brisbane and a win over the Hunter Wildfires, from the Shute Shield, in Coffs Harbour last weekend.
Reds contenders Lucy Thorpe and Paris Mohr are strong inclusions for the Bull Sharks' women's team.
In the backs, halfback Evie Sampson and centre TJ Murray will add class as well.
Sampson is fresh off attending several Wallaroos camps and is a quick spark in many of Bond's best attacking movements.
The women will also face Warringah for the Australian Club Championship at Pittwater Rugby Park.
Both Australian Club Championship matches will be broadcast live on Stan Sport with the women's match from 2:15pm Qld time and the men's match from 3:40pm Qld time.
