His comeback may have the Reds excited but Queensland playmaker Quade Cooper sounds more thrilled about unleashing a fearsome backline on Friday night.

Cooper will play his first game since the Wallabies’ 2014 spring tour as one of four key backs returning from injury for the battling Reds in their Super Rugby home clash with the Lions.

Back from a broken collar bone suffered in January, Cooper is seen as besieged Reds coach Richard Graham’s saviour after Queensland slumped to a 1-4 season start.

But Wallabies five-eighth Cooper believed the biggest impact would be made by the wrecking balls lurking in their backline.

Hulking 108kg outside centre Samu Kerevi – also back from injury – and giant winger Chris Kuridrani have captured Cooper’s imagination at training along with Chris Feauai-Sautia on the bench ahead of their must-win game.

“Having big ball runners like (Kerevi), Kuridrani on the wing … all of them are over 105kg,” Cooper said.

“And Chris Feauai-Sautia, who is on the bench, he’s another big boy who can run the ball.

“When you look across the paddock and you’ve got guys like that all above 100kg it makes me excited to know that I’ve got big ball runners like that and just dish the ball off to them and let them do their work.”

The game marks the first time Cooper will combine with the backline giants in a Super Rugby match.

They hope to improve the Reds’ league worst tally of four tries in five games.

Cooper said he was ready to get back to his best.

“I felt thereabouts for the Brumbies,” Cooper said of their last clash a fortnight ago.

“But I knew I would have an extra two weeks if I missed it. That gave me confidence, doing a little bit more work with the extra time.

“And when you’ve got something to look forward to as a goal, a match at the end of the week, it’s as excited as I get as a person.

“In rehab the outcome could be weeks or months down the track – now the game is only days away.”

Graham said Cooper – one of six players returning from injury – had injected “a new level of confidence and enthusiasm” at training.

“Just the attack is more fluent with him there and obviously not just with Quade coming back but also the combination with (halves partner) Will (Genia) again will be pivotal to the way that we play,” Graham said.