Australian halfback great George Gregan has hailed incumbent Wallabies No.9 Will Genia as a superstar with more skills than him.

Just 11 Tests into his international career and Gregan is already touting the New Guinea-born 22-year-old as a future Wallabies captain.

At 82kg, pound for pound Genia is the strongest Australian rugby player, benching 172kg.

"He's got a lot more skills than me," Gregan told sportal.com.

"He's bigger, stronger and he can kick a lot further.

"I'm a dinosaur compared to him. He's got a good head on his shoulders. I like the way he plays.

"He has time and space to do things, which is a sign of a real quality player.

"He's only 22 and has heaps of improvement in him. That's what's exciting."

They are big raps from the Zambian-born Bledisloe Cup-winning captain who won a World Cup in 1999, played 139 Tests for the green and gold, and 136 games for the Brumbies, including two Super 12 titles in 2001 and 2004.

Queensland coach Ewen McKenzie has already elevated Genia to the Reds captaincy, following James Horwill's season-ending knee injury.

"I think that leadership has really helped him go from strength to strength," Gregan said.

"He is a very good player who understands the game. He's very skilful and makes good decisions under pressure.

"He takes care of his forwards, has very good pass and knows how to change his game when the opportunity presents itself."

Some have gone as far to say Genia is the next Gregan.

"He's his own man and he's doing a great job," Gregan said.

"He also picked up the game late which shows how much talent he has."

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP