Injury has forced Reds coach Phil Mooney to backflip on his offer to give former Wallabies hooker Sean Hardman a well-earned rest in Queensland's rugby clash against Japan in Brisbane on Wednesday night.

His understudies Saia Faingaa and James Hanson were initially expected to play half a game each against the Cherry Blossoms at Ballymore, providing timely relief for Hardman who is mulling over his future after playing a record 137 matches for his state.

But Mooney named Hardman on the bench on Tuesday after Hanson succumbed to an ankle injury.

In other injury news, Gold Coast backrower John Norton comes into the squad for Ezra Taylor (shoulder) and Brisbane Brothers five-eighth Dallan Murphy slots in for Jona Lance (ankle).

Reds props Greg Holmes and Jack Kennedy are still nursing neck injuries but Dayna Edwards returns from a calf complaint.

Lock Van Humphries has been named Reds captain.

Japan are using the match to fine tune their preparation for the looming Pacific Nations Cup.

Queensland team: Mark McLinden, Brando Va'aulu, Charlie Fetoai, Anthony Faingaa, Anthony Sauer, Dallan Murphy, Ben Lucas, Leroy Houston, Poutasi Luafutu, Scott Higginbotham, Van Humphries (capt), Adam Byrnes, Laurie Weeks, Saia Faingaa, Ben Daley. Res: Sean Hardman, Dayna Edwards, Liam Shaw, John Norton, Curtis Franks, Keiron Lander, Albert Vuli Vuli, Ken Robertson, Dominic Shipperley, Blair Connor.

Japan: Jack Tarrant, Koji Tomioka, Koji Taira, Ryan Nicholas, Hirotoki Onozawa, Shaun Webb, Fumiaki Tanaka, Takashi Kikutani (c), Philip O'Reilly, Michael Leitch, Toshizumi Kitagawa, Hitoshi Ono, Hiroshi Yamashita, Yusuke Aoki, Hisateru Hirashima. Res: Takeo Kanai, Yoshimitsu Yasue, Shinsuke Nakamura, Luke Thompson, Yuji Kitagawa, Yoshitaka Nakayama, Masakazu Toyota, Taufa Toetuu, Yuki Yatomi, Tomoki Yoshida, Tatsuhiko Otao, James Arlidge, Yuta Imamura, Ayumu Goromaru.

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP