Friendship only goes so far with Blues coach David Nucifora.

While happy that his old mate Phil Mooney has helped turn Queensland around, Nucifora would like nothing more than to crush the Reds at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night and keep the Auckland team's slim Super 14 finals hopes alive.

The former Brisbane Wests co-coaches and Brisbane Grammar schoolboys will reunite when a desperate Blues line up against the Reds.

Nucifora heaped praise on Mooney on Thursday after his good friend rejuvenated Queensland following their 2007 wooden spoon season.

Mooney would have been forgiven for craving positive reinforcement after Reds skipper Sam Cordingley this week confirmed he would leave for France next year.

"It's a very difficult task. For a first year coach I think he has done an extremely good job," Nucifora said of Mooney in Brisbane.

"This is the hardest provincial competition in world rugby to perform in. For a first year coach to make the changes that he has done, I think he has done an outstanding job."

Mooney boldly declared that the Reds had entered a "new generation" after an impressive fortnight in which they downed the Western Force and gave heavyweights the Chiefs the fright of their lives at Hamilton before falling short 32-20.

Queensland are out of finals contention but have made it clear they want to revel in the spoiler role for teams still in the top four mix.

"They are a dangerous team in that respect," Nucifora said.

"The Reds have shown in the last few weeks that they are trying to open their game up and play some attractive footy and that's what our team does too."

Legend has it that as a year eight Grammar schoolboy Mooney cleaned senior student Nucifora's rugby boots.

"I don't know who put that out there," Nucifora laughed.

"Phil is a good friend of mine to the point that we've coached together, that's a good thing.

"It's more of a challenge. He knows what I do and I know what he does."

But Nucifora's affection for Mooney will be all but forgotten on Friday night.

Indeed the Blues (5-5 record) need to be merciless if they are to make the finals in back-to-back seasons.

To remain in the finals mix the Blues must win their remaining three games - complete with bonus points.

"We know that we are still a chance to make the finals," Nucifora said.

"Our job is to obviously win the next three games, maximise our points. It's not an easy task but it's achievable.

"We did it in the first three rounds of the competition, we can do it in the last three rounds - that's our focus."

Nucifora has kept the same 22 who challenged leaders the Crusaders last weekend.

The Reds will be doing it tough without injured trio Cordingley, Chris Latham and John Roe.

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