Ashes tourist Ashley Noffke and reliable paceman Joe Dawes face cricket's version of musical chairs tomorrow morning when Queensland selectors cull their gifted bowling attack.

There is room for only four quicks in the Bulls team for tomorrow's opening Pura Cup clash at the Gabba against a West Australian team stocked with Test batsmen Adam Gilchrist, Damien Martyn, Justin Langer and Simon Katich.

Queensland has other problems, with a virus keeping batsmen Jimmy Maher and Clinton Perren out of the final training session.

Maher is expected to play but Perren is struggling to shake the sickness which infiltrated the Bulls camp last week, probably leaving Brendan Nash as the next in line.

Queensland captain Stuart Law will wait for the selectors to choose the 12th man, but Noffke and Dawes appear in the firing line behind Gabba regulars Michael Kasprowicz, Andrew Bichel and Adam Dale.

Both have excellent cases for selection, with Noffke receiving an Ashes tour berth after his man-of-the-match performance for the Bulls in their Pura Cup final win over Victoria last season.

But Dawes was the Bulls' leading wicket-taker last summer and he has an excellent reputation against left-handers. The Warriors' left-handed group includes Gilchrist, Langer, Katich and Mike Hussey.

"You can go on about plenty of different bowlers in Queensland but I think people realise that the season goes for a long while so everyone tends to get their opportunity," Law said.

"It's going to be a tough pill for someone to swallow but if they're man enough to take it on the chin, they're going to be ready when the next opportunity comes along.

"That's just the way it is."

The clash between the Queensland bowlers and the West Australian batsmen will be among the highlights of the season, with Law admitting it was a huge challenge to bowl the Warriors out twice in four days.

Langer will be under the microscope as he tries to convince national selectors he should open the batting alongside Queensland's Matthew Hayden when the Test series against New Zealand begins in Brisbane on November 8.

He won't get a better chance than this match despite a warning from former fast bowling great Dennis Lillee that his campaign to switch from Test No.3 to opener was "fraught with danger".

Gilchrist has backed his Test teammate to handle the switch while also backing his bowlers, who must tame a Queensland batting order stocked with Gabba runmakers.

Law said the teams were so evenly matched that the result could be determined by a brilliant moment in the field.

"If you can get someone to do something a little special, it could spark a couple of wickets which could turn the game," Law said.

"That's how close this game could be.

"We've always had great games of cricket against them but it's always played in the right spirit."

QUEENSLAND: Stuart Law (capt), Matthew Hayden, Jimmy Maher, Martin Love, Andrew Symonds, Clinton Perren, Wade Seccombe, Andrew Bichel, Michael Kasprowicz, Adam Dale, Joe Dawes, Ashley Noffke (12th man to be named).

WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Adam Gilchrist (capt), Justin Langer, Mike Hussey, Simon Katich, Damien Martyn, Murray Goodwin, Marcus North, Matt Nicholson, Jo Angel, Brad Williams, Sean Cary, Gavin Swan (likely 12th man).

© 2001 AAP