Three weeks after jeering Queensland's controversial victory over his old Crusaders teammates, Caleb Ralph is set to make a bewildering Reds debut which could earn him a record seventh Super Rugby title.

Ralph is pinching himself after being plucked out of Queensland club rugby to bolster the injury-hit frontrunners against the Chiefs - the team he debuted with 14 years ago - on Saturday.

The 14-Test All Blacks winger flies to New Zealand early on Thursday morning savouring the prospect of equalling George Gregan (136) as the competition's third most-capped player.

His "surreal" reactivation by Ewen McKenzie comes three years after celebrating a Crusaders farewell to remember.

Ralph's last match, a 20-12 final triumph over the McKenzie-coached NSW Waratahs, gave him a career haul of six titles, bettered only by his former Crusaders skipper Reuben Thorne.

While he doesn't have to change his colours, he must alter his allegiances after being among the record 48,301-strong crowd cheering for his former team in Brisbane last month.

Ralph admitted he booed referee Stu Dickinson's debatable late penalty against Richie McCaw that earned the Reds a 17-16 win.

"Along with a few other people in the crowd," he said.

"I was right behind the Crusaders but it's a different story this week."

The 33-year-old's call-up into Queensland's 23-man squad even has him stunned.

Winding down into retirement for the Sunshine Coast Stingrays after a stint in Japan, Ralph said it "came completely out of the blue" after Luke Morahan (hamstring) became the sixth Reds winger sidelined.

"I knew there were a few injuries but I wouldn't have thought I'd get that call," he said.

"2008 was my last season so I thought that was put to bed, that part of my career, so it's nice.

"Coming over here was about playing a bit of club, a lot more relaxed, so not in my wildest dreams."

A Rotorua product, Ralph played three games for the Chiefs in 1997 before linking with the Blues in 1998 and then making his name in 126 matches for the Crusaders.

It's that experience which also has the veteran left wing positioned for a possible start, marking up against the dangerous Lelia Masaga in forecast wet conditions at Waikato Stadium.

It could also see Ralph stay in the Reds' 22 for the rest of the season, even when Digby Ioane returns from his head knock in the finals.

"We couldn't afford to go younger (for a replacement), we needed more experience and I think we've found possibly the most experienced Super Rugby player available," McKenzie said.

"That's the key thing at the moment, I don't think he's going to be overawed by coming in at short notice.

"He's won six titles with the Crusaders so he's seen this end of the season quite a bit."

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