A new halves combination and Treyvon Pritchard's first start are the latest jigsaw pieces Les Kiss will introduce as the Queensland Reds chip away at their Super Rugby Pacific puzzle.
The Reds will host the Western Force at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday, with NRL convert Zac Lomax's rugby debut off the bench for the 1-5 side the talking point.
It looms as a banana peel moment for the fourth-placed Reds (4-2), who will pair flyhalf Carter Gordon with scrumhalf Kalani Thomas for the first time and give 18-year-old sensation Pritchard his chance on the wing.
Winger Tim Ryan, No.9 Louis Werchon and No.10 Harry McLaughlin-Phillips have been benched to make way, while fit-again Josh Flook replaces in-form centre Isaac Henry.
Wallabies No.9 Tate McDermott (hamstring) is yet to feature this year, while Test No.10 Tom Lynagh - the Reds' first-choice playmaker last season - has played less than 30 minutes all season due to injury and illness.
The Reds' front-row has not been immune, with hooker Matt Faessler back from a knee injury this week and Wallabies lock Josh Canham still at least five weeks away from a return.
Throw in the requirement to rest Test talents like captain Fraser McReight and Kiss has had plenty on his plate in what could be viewed as the perfect assignment before he takes over as Wallabies coach in August.
"You want combinational depth ... (last year we had) good players, but not as good in combinations," the seasoned coach, who has overseen back-to-back quarter-final exits, explained.
"This year we've fixed that up a lot better. We've got a lot more players saying, 'I can play in that first team'.
"I get no joy telling someone they're not in, but there's a lot of joy telling someone like Treyvon Pritchard he's in."
A 14-game regular season compounds every non-selection.
"It's trying to get that balance right; enough combinations together, enough time, rest them at the right time, make sure they get enough footy to fill their cup," he said.
"I always say it'll take all of us and we've got our fair share of really good players (injured) on the bench.
"We're getting deep. It makes it difficult, but I've got to make the calls."
Gordon's running game has flourished in his return to the code after a stint with Gold Coast in the NRL and could prove a handful in partnership with the sniping Thomas.
"We toured together, we were roomies and built a good connection there," Gordon said of their time with the Wallabies in Europe late last year.
"Kalani, he's very flairy, has a great pass and sees the game well.
"I back him over the hill ... he does his thing and I play off the back of him."
STATS THAT MATTER
* Force have won only one of their last 12 games and 22 of their last 24 playing as the away team.
* Reds have won nine of their last 11 games at Suncorp Stadium and are 9-2 against the Force in their last 11 clashes.
* Force held half-time leads in four of first five games and four of their five losses have been by 10 points or less.
