Wooden spooners in last year's Shield, the Sunshine State are outsiders and they could be reliant on its most wayward son for salvation this year.

Andrew Symonds' latest 'gone fishing' episode may have put a temporary, if not a permanent, block on his international career but the Bulls could be the main beneficiaries, depending on the attitude of the big-hitting maverick.

If Symonds knuckles down and applies himself with Queensland in a determined effort to get back in the Australia reckoning the 10/1 with Stan James for him to be top Shield run scorer could look huge come season's end.

On the other hand if he continues on with his larrikin ways 100/1 would probably be nearer the mark. Which Andrew Symonds will front up at the Gabba? It's up to you to decide.

Elsewhere in the team the signing of Ryan Harris from SA, via a one week stint at Sussex before he decided he really was an Australian, is sure to boost a pace attack which was ridiculously dependent on Ashley Noffke during the last campaign.

The all-rounder claimed 51 wickets, an amazing 36 more than his nearest team-mate, the now retired veteran Michael Kasprowicz. This haul was enough to finish as leading Shield wicket taker and he is 6/1 to repeat the feat.

Mitchell Johnson's departure for Western Australia will not impact that much and the Noffke-Harris partnership should ensure the Bulls are not propping up the table again this campaign.

The presence of Symonds is bound to have a positive effect on any team in 50 or 20 over cricket and if Matthew Hayden & Shane Watson ever manage to turn out for their home state between international gigs then the Bulls will boast a frightening array of power hitters and could easily figure in the latter stages of either of the two limited over competitions.