He has left some of the world's best defenders in his wake.

But for ex-international winger Matt Sing, there was no escaping relentless Queensland Cup coach Wayne Barnett.

Finally relenting after months of constant "hints" from Central Comets mentor Barnett, Sing will come out of retirement for the Queensland Cup leaders at Rockhampton on Sunday.

Sing, 34, drew the curtain on his 13-year career when he returned to Rockhampton this year to become Barnett's assistant at the Comets.

The 15-Test, 24-Origin veteran had ruled out a comeback - but Barnett wasn't having any of that.

"I definitely gave him some hints, you would be silly not to," Barnett laughed.

"For the last eight or nine weeks I have been asking if he was going to put the boots on, but he would just laugh it off.

"The big thing with Matt is that he didn't want to take the spot away from a young kid - I can understand that.

"But we've had a couple of injuries and we've lost three in a row so he's put his hand up."

Sing will run out against Redcliffe at Rockhampton's Browne Park for a "one-off" appearance - but that may change if Barnett has anything to do with it.

"When I was playing footy, if I was playing one week I would want to be playing the next - and I have told Matt that," Barnett laughed.

"I was always hoping that he would pull on the boots.

"A player like that doesn't come around that often.

"And you can imagine one of our 17-year-old kids saying `I played alongside Matt Sing' - it is not something many country kids get to do."

Barnett is keen to strike while he still has the Midas touch - his next target is Comets chief executive, former Broncos winger Scott Minto.

"I am doing my best. I almost got (former Panther) Sid Domic a couple of weeks ago - I've got the touch," he laughed.

Barnett joked that Sing had a chocolate bar try bonus to his "pie and coke" playing contract.

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