Injury may have cruelled Massimo De Lutiis' 2025, but the young tighthead prop is ready to let loose when his Reds open their Super Rugby AUS campaign on Sunday.
Queensland's Baron of Bench stole headlines after being named in the Wallabies' January squad without a Super Rugby Pacific cap and looked destined for a meteoric rise following his Australia A debut against England last November.
Watch the inaugural Super Rugby AUS season live and on-demand via Stan Sport.
De Lutiis, 21, went on to feature in nine Super Rugby Pacific games this year before badly fracturing his wrist against the Brumbies in May.
Four months on, De Lutiis has been cleared for duty and is raring to make his top-flight return in the inaugural Super Rugby AUS competition.
"[The wrist] feels great. Obviously the physios have done their work and been rehabbing along the way and they've given me the all clear to go, so yeah, keen for this weekend," De Lutiis told reporters on Tuesday.
"For this Super Rugby AUS, we made a rule that we're just going to compete with each other, like, we're not going to go easy on each other no matter what. We're competing for that first spot.
"Obviously Wallabies is on the radar, and these are the games to prove myself. Yeah, like, I'm going to be putting my hat in the ring for that.
"The more rugby, the better, that's all I can say. I think all the boys are keen. I know every other state's going to be keen to go.
"[Ballymore] is going to be great. We're going to have a home crowd, I'm sure everyone's going to be there and get the boys going over the line.
"I think family-wise it'll be a great day for everyone - how good's Queensland footy with the sun out?"
De Lutiis admitted his frustration at missing the end of Queensland's Super Rugby Pacific season and potential Test selection but is taking heart from the the rise of fellow Reds prop Zane Nonggorr.
The pair share an alma mater - The Southport School on Queensland's Gold Coast - and De Lutiis was full of praise for his teammate's efforts in Wallaby gold this year.
"Yeah, look, I think it's incredible. He pops in [to Ballymore] when they get that time off and you can just see the change in his body," De Lutiis said of Nongorr.
"On TV, you can see the way he plays - it's just that big step and he's taking it with both hands.
"Look it's tough, but obviously you're still trying to make sure the next guy goes ahead as well," De Lutiis added.
"We're competing, but we're not wishing bad on each other. We really want everyone to do well."
With Nongorr firmly in the Wallabies frame, De Lutiis find himself the frontrunner in Queensland's four-way tighthead tussle for Super Rugby AUS with veteran Jeffrey Toomaga-Allen, Australia U20 talent Trevor King and Norths prospect Ollie Harris also in contention.
The Reds will name their matchday 23 to face the Brumbies on Wednesday at 2pm AEST.
