Tom Murphy's decision to return to Queensland has been rewarded with selection in the Reds' team to play the Hurricanes.

Murphy grew up in the Queensland town of Longreach, but after spending time with the ACT Brumbies, Leicester, Rotherham and Cambridge University, has been chosen by coach Mark McBain to play for the Reds.

"I guess I've taken a bit of a different path to most professional rugby players these days," Murphy said, having finally been given a chance after battling Sean Hardman for a place in the team.

Murphy has spent the past two years as cover for Jeremy Paul in Canberra, but with the retirement of former Wallaby and Queensland hooker Michael Foley headed home to try and get a start with the Reds.

"It was just hard to get game time under your belt to really make an impression," he said of his time in Canberra. "But it was a great experience at the Brumbies, it was a fantastic squad and a great team culture and I would have left after two years a better rugby player.

"I'd always kept my eye on Queensland obviously because I'd grown up in Queensland and it's really where my heart is. With Foles's retirement it provided the perfect opportunity.

"But I knew the competition would be tough here because Sean's played well under Foles for the last few years and I knew it would be a battle."

Murphy, who will turn 30 on Anzac Day, is far from convinced Queensland will be where he finishes his career, and says he will weigh up his options soon.

"I always believe that at the end of each season you just weigh up where you're at in your life and what opportunities you have in rugby and what opportunities you have outside rugby," he said.

"Every year you play rugby it's another year you're not working and setting up your career post rugby."

Murphy said he had a two year deal with the Reds to take him up through next season's World Cup year when he would look at his options.

"Obviously if things are going well you never know ... but I don't want to play forever," he said.

Meanwhile Hurricanes giant Jonah Lomu has admitted his frustration at being starved of the ball on the wing.

"It's a bit frustrating to be honest and I don't really know what's going on," Lomu said. "Things are going OK in certain areas, but I'm just not getting any ball from set phase.

"We have rarely seen the ball going out wide and I don't know why that is, it's just happening. But it is a bit annoying because I wouldn't mind getting some ball."

Amazingly for a man who has 120 tries in 168 first-class games, including 25 in 45 Super 12 matches, Lomu has not scored a single touchdown so far this season in five starts as opponents target his game-breaking abilities.

"I try to get into the game but the opposition are always trying to cut me off," he said.

"They come up and stop the passes and when I do get the ball the centre and wing are on top of me. It means there are holes for someone else, and that's good, but once in a while I'd like to get the ball."

The Hurricanes are also trying to put a stop to a recent run of hamstring strains, with halfback Jason Spice and winger Lome Fa'atau watching on as the team completed a speed session on Tuesday after Monday's strength session.

Lock Paul Tito was unable to complete all of the session, while fullback Christian Cullen also had to miss the session with a neck injury, with flanker Kupu Vanisi struggling with a strained back and in serious doubt.

Rodney So'oialo will play if Vanisi doesn't, in a team that is likely to otherwise be unchanged.

Queensland: Chris Latham, Ben Tune, Daniel Herbert (c), Steve Kefu, Wendell Sailor, Elton Flatley, Sam Cordingly, Toutai Kefu, David Croft, Matt Cockbain, Nathan Sharpe, Mark Connors, Fletcher Dyson, Tom Murphy, Nick Stiles: Res: Sean Hardman, Simon Kerr, Mike Mitchell, Junior Pelesasa, John Roe, Andrew Scotney, Jacob Rauluni.