NSW have leapt to the defence of playmaker Kurtley Beale following a scathing assessment by injured Queensland fullback Chris Latham ahead of Saturday night's interstate rugby grudge match.

Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie insisted he had full faith in Beale's defensive ability going into the cut-throat final round encounter where a Reds upset would knock NSW out of the Super 14 play-offs.

A pectoral muscle injury has robbed England-bound Wallabies veteran Latham of a chance of a fitting farewell at Suncorp Stadium along with six other Reds but he hasn't missed the chance to take a swing at their arch-rivals.

In his Brisbane newspaper column, Latham said he found it hard to rate talented teenager Beale due to perceived tackling deficiencies and a Waratahs' tendency to hide him on the wing or fullback in defence.

"I believe (Reds five-eighth) Quade Cooper has a far better all-round game - better in attack and taking his place in the front line of defence," he wrote in The Courier-Mail.

McKenzie hit back at Latham's comments, saying they were well and truly "out of date", and backed Beale to cut down the big Queensland ball-runners who will target him.

"We haven't defended Kurtley out of the 10 position since about round three," he said.

"There's not a game plan in the Super 14 that I know of where you don't run at 10 or 12.

"I think he's handled it well and has developed a great ability to strip the ball from ball-runners better than anyone else.

"He's not worried about it and I'm not worried about it."

But McKenzie, tipping a close result in an intense battle, is well aware of the stakes and knows it could also be his last game in charge of the third-placed Waratahs.

NSW halfback Luke Burgess has revealed the team is motivated to send their outgoing coach to French club Stade Francais on the right note.

"That's out focus this week," Burgess told Fox Sport's Inside Rugby.

While most talk has been about the Queensland farewells and the rebuilding Reds' swirling emotions, a boilover may end the Super 14 careers of key Waratahs.

Wallabies lock Dan Vickerman is expected to head to the UK while Rocky Elsom is tipped to link with Irish club Leinster.

The young Reds are desperate to farewell their battle-scarred veteran flanker David Croft on the right note, while Sam Cordingley (Grenoble), Stephen Moore (Brumbies), Clinton Schifcofske (Ulster), Rodney Blake (France) and Ed O'Donoghue (Ulster) are also departing.

As much as McKenzie defended him, it hasn't escaped the Reds attention Beale has struggled in the front line and he'll also have to contend with dangerous inside balls from Reds inside centre Berrick Barnes.

Beale's individual battle with close friend Cooper, 20, will be one of the most enticing match-ups in the local derby. The positional contests between Burgess and Ben Lucas, Vickerman and James Horwill, Phil Waugh and Croft, and Tatafu Polota-Nau and Moore will go a long way to deciding the clash.

McKenzie still hadn't finalised his starting team on Friday afternoon but denied he was playing mind games, instead allowing injuries to heal and combinations to knit.

Mystery surrounds league recruit Timana Tahu's assignment, with the Reds expecting him to be given the tough defensive job at outside centre.

Queensland, who have lost the last three interstate showdowns, suffered a late blow with winger Brando Va'aulu failing to overcome an ankle injury, pitchforking Caleb Brown into his first start in two seasons.

NSW, the competition's best turn-over forcing team, are curious to see whether the Reds played to their new expansive style under Phil Mooney in what has traditionally been a forward-oriented affair.

"I don't mind which way they go, they will probably do both," McKenzie said.

"The tactical side will be quite interesting."

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