I was thinking yesterday as I attended the Reds lunch that perhaps we should be sending the Reds an invoice for the game. In amongst the crafted call to arms and boo a blue hype that has been conjured up in Brisbane is that the crowd attendance for the game will be 31 000 plus.

Pretty good numbers considering the match last week against the most successful team in the competition's history, could only manage 21,000.

In other words there are 10,000 Waratah supporters attending showing there is still life in the local derby.

There is no doubt that there has been some watering down of the contest due to the introduction of a fourth Australian team. New rivalries have been developed and the old ones have some generational issues.

No-one promotes the past like the Queenslanders and they are good at it.

Queensland's 48-10 defeat of NSW at Ballymore in 1978 was a significant point in their history and those participants still gather to celebrate the occasion.

They were at it again at the Vintage Reds lunch yesterday. Membership of the "48-10 club" is exclusive and valued.

NSW have had a couple of 45-0 victories over Queensland in the depression years and in those days of three point tries the magnitude was much greater. Nonetheless the wheel of irony turns.

A key member of the "48-10 club", Tony D'Arcy, has been instrumental in the identification and development of talent in NSW over the last four years and NSW success in the last three Templeton Cups has his fingerprints all over it.

On the other side, Morgan Turinui, a regular Waratah over the same period now wears the Reds' jersey in tonight's clash. In fact, Morgan has been the greatest promotional face for this fixture from the Queensland end and this points to how the times have changed.

There is a reality that tonight's game will see a significant severance from the modern history. A number of factors come into play

Queensland in the 70's, 80's and 90's have ritually enjoyed the encounters and they enjoyed a 10 year unbeaten streak in the professional rugby era of Super 12.

NSW were very slow out of the blocks winning none of the first nine encounters but have hit back claiming the last three Templeton trophies.

Much will be made of what the Waratahs have to lose tonight and it is obvious. Less has been made of the fact that a fourth straight loss might see a disconnect emerge in the Queensland team that would mean no players exist in the side that have experienced beating NSW.

Winning and losing are habits. NSW for nine years could not discover a winning habit against the Reds regardless of the circumstance. If NSW win then the baton changing of responsibility will fall heavier on the ex-players to pass on.

As I said before, Queenslanders remember their history but it has been their ability to do it by apprenticeship that has been a feature. Can NSW sever this tonight? It will be an enormous challenge.

Both teams are desperate for a victory and it could be a battle for as much as second and even for last place. One of the great things that Super rugby has provided is a competition that is never over until the last game is played. I cannot think of a recent competition that has not gone down to the last round and indeed the last games. The combinations and permutations are infinite. There is no reason to not expect more anxiety this year.

NSW and Queensland will farewell some of their favourite and deserving sons tonight and in the emotion of this single event it should be remembered that many thousands of hours of blood, sweat and tears have been spilled on behalf of their respective teams.

This deserves recognition as they too will pass on the baton of responsibility. Bodies will be put on the line and that is why these contests are so great. Suncorp's biggest crowd of the year will be on hand as witnesses.