Scott Higginbotham has made a habit of surprising people since giving up soccer in favour of rugby at 17 but no one will be shocked to hear he battled with the laws in the round-ball game.

The Queensland Reds back-rower embodies raw-boned aggression in Super Rugby and admits, as much as he loved soccer growing up in Singapore and on the Gold Coast, he could never keep his emotions in full check.

In the end, the Reds can be thankful the late-blooming Higginbotham listened to his father, former Brisbane premiership-winning winger Peter, and seriously took to the 15-man code in the humble three-team Coast colts competition.

"Soccer was a great game, I lived in Asia and it's the main game over there - I loved soccer," he said on Monday.

"I was probably a bit too aggressive, I was playing defence and slide tackles were a good part of my game.

"Dad mostly wanted me to play (rugby) so I tried to keep him happy.

"It's good to be able to hit people and take your aggression out that way."

That sort of aggression had Melbourne Rebels fans in full voice on Friday night as the Queensland No.6 was public enemy No.1, rattling all and sundry in a physical 33-18 Reds win at AAMI Park.

His uncompromising attitude also had the 24-year-old branded a villain by some Waratahs officials after Higginbotham veered into Drew Mitchell's path in a round 10 kick-chase, resulting in an ugly ankle injury.

Higginbotham, who made his Wallabies debut in the last Test of 2010 and now looms as the prime back-up to injured skipper Rocky Elsom, could understand his lack of popularity in the tense Melbourne clash.

"I think it's been building over the last couple of weeks, starting with Drew Mitchell, and I had a bit of karma coming my way I think," he said.

"All credit to Melbourne, they didn't give up the whole 80 minutes. It felt like we were losing at one stage but we were up by 20 points and they kept putting the pressure on us."

The Reds will need Higginbotham's passion and firepower across the park on Friday night when they attempt to end the front-running Blues' nine-match unbeaten streak in a top-of-the-table clash at Suncorp Stadium.

The Blues remain the last team to beat the Reds in Brisbane, in round three last year at Ballymore, and Higginbotham rated it a must-win encounter to ensure a top-two place for a home preliminary final.

"It would be tough to go into a bye week with a loss and then you have to dwell on it for two weeks and not one, so all the boys will be up for this, and a couple of days off after it will be great," he said.

The Reds expect to have blazing winger Luke Morahan (shoulder) fit but North Harbour recruit Mike Harris has been ruled out playing the team he trained with last season and may face knee surgery.

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