Senior coach Justin Leppitsch says up to five spots in his first-choice 22 remain up for grabs for the Round 1 blockbuster against Collingwood at the Gabba.

Today’s intra-club game at Burpengary was cancelled due to the big wet hammering the state, with the team now turning its attention to the opening NAB Challenge match against St Kilda at Burpengary next Saturday.

Leppitsch said the red-hot competition for places meant regular senior players last year could not be guaranteed a spot this season.

“The only negative (to the intra-club match possibly being cancelled) is that we are going to have trouble picking a team,’’ Leppitsch told The Courier-Mail.

“There’s two guys going for one spot in four or five positions.

“That’s probably a good thing though when you are taking names off the board, not putting them on.

“We want to get our best available side out there every week (of the pre-season). We’ll suit them all up. It’s just a matter of how many minutes they play.’’

Leppitsch said there was competition among the key forwards with Michael Close, Jackson Paine, Luke McGuane and Brent Staker gunning for two spots.

Backline spots, especially across half-back, are also contentious with Tom Cutler, Daniel McStay, Marco Paparone, Darcy Gardiner, Claye Beams and Justin Clarke trying to squeeze into places around Daniel Rich, Ryan Lester and Daniel Merrett.

The arrivals of new recruits Allen Christensen and Mitch Robinson have also made the half-forward line crowded.

Leppitsch said the playing group had reached the point where they were keen to put the pre-season behind them and sink their teeth into games.

He said losing the intra-club match was not a disaster from a fitness point of view as three weeks of ‘match simulation’ sessions had the players primed.

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