Queensland Bulls captain James Hopes has revealed his team will fly Jason Floros down to Melbourne as extra cover for Nathan Hauritz ahead of Wednesday's Ryobi Cup Final at the MCG.
Floros will be on stand-by, along with Cameron Boyce, in Queensland's squad if Hauritz fails to prove his fitness.
The 31-year-old off-spinner took five wickets and scored 20 and 29 in the Bulls' eight-wicket defeat to Victoria in the Sheffield Shield last week but if he fails to overcome a calf injury, Hopes said Queensland will need another two spin options to choose from in case rain in Melbourne forces them to tweak their bowling attack.
"He (Hauritz) struggled in the (Sheffield) Shield game with a calf complaint and, yeah, we'll give him until game time to (prove he can) play," Hopes said on Tuesday.
The Bushrangers will take on Queensland in the third domestic one-day final between the teams in the past seven seasons on Wednesday.
While the Bushrangers have played in five of the past six 50-over deciders, they have only triumphed once (in 2010/11 against Tasmania) and Queensland have twice been the team to knock off Victoria and Hopes is looking forward to locking horns with the Bushrangers again.
"We like the fact we're playing them (Victoria) in the final, they deserve to be there," Hopes said on Tuesday.
"They have been the benchmark in one-day cricket again and have been ... for probably the last decade and we'll just keep nipping at their heels."
The Ryobi Cup Final will, arguably, pit the two most successful Australian domestic teams of the past 15 years against each other.
Victoria and Queensland have met in eight Sheffield Shield and Ryobi Cup finals in that time with the Bulls having won five.
Bushrangers coach Simon Helmot believes both teams have a never-say-die attitude, which is key to their respective success.
"They really fight and the game's never over, Queensland versus Victoria," Helmot said.
"You've got to wait until you get that final wicket or that final run."
Victoria and Queensland played each other earlier this month in their last Ryobi Cup fixture before the final with the Bulls winning by six wickets but Helmot believes his team can bounce back.
"We weren't quite up to the mark last game against the Bulls and you can't afford to be like that against them," Helmot said.
"If you're off, just slightly, in one of your disciplines, let alone all three as we were, you're going to be undone."
First Posted 26 February, 2013 4:25PM AEST
