Ewen McKenzie is as intrigued as anyone whether NSW's new-look, exciting backline will risk living up to their early-season hype in a fiery Super 14 opener.

McKenzie, now opposing his old team as Queensland coach, copped enough ribbing in his five successful years as Waratahs mentor about their pragmatic forward-oriented game.

Successor Chris Hickey copped similar criticism as NSW's backline failed to fire in 2009 when they finished fifth despite having the fourth-worst attacking record.

The defection of Berrick Barnes from Queensland combined with the recruitment of Wallabies winger Drew Mitchell and Chiefs flyer Soseni Anesi has raised hopes of a more expansive game plan.

But McKenzie hinted Saturday night's interstate grudge match, a traditionally torrid affair, could be a bridge too far for the Phil Waugh-led Waratahs.

"Whether they play their much talked-about new attacking game or play their traditional style will be interesting, but we'll be going out there to make a contest of it," McKenzie told AAP.

"It's a philosophical question, if they want to run it more.

"The question is how much risk they want to take. They will have a formula they want to play to, that's what they have been doing, whether they stray from that will be interesting."

Hickey has retained a powerful forward pack for the Suncorp Stadium encounter, led by a Test strength front-row and back-row.

He has opted to keep Dean Mumm at blind-side flanker with lock Will Caldwell shrugging off illness and a hamstring strain to partner impressive New Zealander Cam Jowitt in the second-row.

Mitchell has also overcome a hamstring niggle to be named in a dangerous back three with fullback Anesi and Lachie Turner, while Kurtley Beale will combine with Tom Carter in the midfield, with Barnes pulling the strings at five-eighth.

Hickey admitted it was a tough decision to separate Beale and Daniel Halangahu who shared the playmaking duties in 2009.

"It was a matter of going through and seeing which one gives us most balance in the backline," he said.

Back in the Super 14 after a year out with Stade Francais in Paris, McKenzie denied he retained the advantage of inside knowledge.

"Time moves on," he said.

"They've got a bunch of players I don't know very well and Berrick Barnes knows our players pretty well."

McKenzie is expected to name skipper James Horwill in the back-row, to oppose Mumm at No.6, in a bold move when he announces his team on Thursday.

"As I've said you don't take a knife to a gun fight," he said.

"It is a heavyweight battle against one of the very best forward packs in the comp so you have to deal with that."

NSW Waratahs: Sosene Anesi, Lachie Turner, Tom Carter, Kurtley Beale, Drew Mitchell, Berrick Barnes, Luke Burgess; Wycliff Palu, Phil Waugh (capt), Dean Mumm, Cam Jowitt, Will Caldwell, Al Baxter, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Benn Robinson. Res: Damien Fitzpatrick, Sekope Kepu, Kane Douglas, Ben Mowen, Josh Holmes, Daniel Halangahu, Rory Sidey.

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