Quade Cooper describes Berrick Barnes as his Super 14 "big brother" but feels equipped to use his tuition to spoil the Queensland defector's NSW debut on Saturday night.

Saddled with goalkicking responsibilities along with being the chief playmaker, Cooper is determined take a leaf from Barnes' measured and canny game in the interstate grudge match at Suncorp Stadium.

The mercurial 21-year-old on Wednesday vowed to step up to lead the Reds' exciting backline in the painful absence of their former vice-captain, who will directly oppose him in the Waratahs' No.10 jersey.

Cooper, two years younger than Barnes, made his Super 14 debut at 18 and has spent the bulk of his three seasons at five-eighth with Barnes outside him at inside centre.

"When I came into Queensland rugby he took on the big brother role," he told AAP. "When I was playing 10, he was at 12 and he looked after me a fair bit in the sense of showing me the ropes and how to combine the flamboyant play with the structure and consistency.

"I had really taken to Barnesy as that sort of guy and just tried to learn as much off him at the time he's been here.

"Now having him at NSW hopefully I can come out into the game and show those things that I've tried to learn off him.

"Having him not there makes you realise you have to take on added responsibilities and it's made me train harder ... that I've got to step up."

Among the extra responsibilities for Cooper is goalkicking with Ben Lucas (cork) ruled out with injury.

Barnes will kick for NSW as well, with the irony not lost on the Waikato-born Queenslander who expects the season-opener to be a traditionally tight and torrid affair.

"There's a lot of penalty shots or drop goals and it could be that it comes down to the boys with the (kicking) boots," he said.

Queensland still hold hope their prodigal son will return to Ballymore next year to reactivate his association with Cooper and fellow Wallabies backs Will Genia, Digby Ioane and Peter Hynes.

Barnes has already said Reds players were taking bets on who would smash him first but Cooper dismissed it as "part of Barnesy's humour".

"I'm sure there will be a lot of roughness in the game but no one will be out there to take his head off," he said.

"They've got a lot of Wallabies in their team and if you concentrate too much on one player you leave a lot of holes for the rest of their boys."

Former Wallabies vice-captain Morgan Turinui, set to make his return from a shoulder reconstruction at outside centre, has noticed Cooper, facing burglary charges, has matured considerably through the Wallabies grand slam tour.

"He's obviously more mature on the field and the way he's dealt with his off field stuff has shown he's starting to grow up, which he needed to do," Turinui said.

"He's now more of a guy who can drive the game which you need your 10 to be.

"A lot more time spending with Matt Giteau in the Wallabies has really helped him."

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