James O'Connor and the Reds are looking to rebound from their Highlanders loss © Getty Images

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Emails from ex-players have already inundated Richard Graham, not that the Queensland Reds coach has to be reminded of the importance of the Super Rugby fixture against defending champions New South Wales Waratahs in Brisbane on Saturday.

Graham said former players had not wasted time telling him how vital it was to take down their old enemy at Suncorp Stadium,but the words of Reds great Stan Pilecki a year ago were still ringing in his ears.

Pilecki's leaked scathing assessment of his former team after a disappointing loss to the Western Force - which he said made him "embarrassed and disgusted" - still resonated, Graham said.

"I think Stan, that one he sent me last year, carries over for 12 months," Graham said. "[But] I have already received a dozen emails from former players who understand the intensity in the rivalry which dates back 100 years. It may be one game but it means an enormous amount."

Reds skipper James Slipper said the team had to focus on rebounding from their last-round 20-13 loss to the Highlanders rather than the two hidings delivered by the Waratahs last season. "That's three games done and dusted, and we've only got the one win to show for it," he said of their season start. "It's crucial."

Slipper was encouraged by James O'Connor's Reds debut at fly-half after the former Wallabies utility chanced his arm with the ball in hand, but he lamented the lack of enterprise in attack without the injured Quade Cooper and sidelined recruit Karmichael Hunt.

"It's unfortunate we didn't back ourselves to push the pass," he said. "In some cases, we didn't push the pass which led to a missed opportunity. I said we wanted to have a good start to the season and it hasn't panned out that way. But we're confident going into a Suncorp Stadium full of Reds supporters that we can come out with a win."