But it wasn't to be – their 31-20 lead quickly wiped out as Blues No.8 Hoskins Sotutu continued his superb 2024 campaign, scoring a try and running for 125m in a mammoth display.
“We're devastated, we got in the driver's seat after an early deficit, stuck to our game plan which paid a bit of dividends, so we're gutted,” Reds captain Liam Wright said.
“I thought our guys left it all out there – they played hard for each other and hard for the shirt. You don't have to mention Timmy Ryan, he was outstanding tonight, he was just the epitome of what this team is about : just increase the work and go further.
“It is difficult to accept, but we will meet again. “
Paisami cannot be ignored
Hunter Paisami's development hit another gear against Super Rugby's most daunting opponents, showing the kind of form that should surely elevate him back into the Wallabies fold.
Tim Ryan of the Reds scores a try against the Blues at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday.Credit:
The 26-year-old was at the heart of it all for the Reds, playing a major hand in two tries to give his side a second-half lead.
First was a bulldozer run where he shrugged off a defender with ease and burst into the clearing, finding Ryan offside only for the winger to be pulled down.
Queensland would eventually attack from this field position soon after through Suliasi Vunivalu at the back of the ruck, before the biggest transformation of Paisami's game was shown moments later.
Inside his own half, the inside center broke for himself and in one quick move he gathered himself and found Ryan out wide again.
Earlier, Paisami had tried to impose his boot on the contest, punching across the field for open space only for the ball to just beat his side on touch.
But the fact that he made every touch of the ball count and looked to make a difference with every carry shows the exact competitive qualities and growth that new Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt will be looking for in July's series against wales
Poor discipline is costly
In another life, Suliasi Vunivalu was one of the most elite finishers to walk onto a pitch, but a costly error will leave the Reds wondering what could have been.
Back in his rugby league days, the former Melbourne Storm flyer was one of the NRL's most gifted scorers – finishing his days in the 13-man code with 86 tries in 111 appearances.
But on Saturday night, after doing all the hard work, he somehow managed to let the first few points slip through his fingers.
An unexpected but well-timed Kalani Thomas box kick inside the Blues' half was tackled on a play by Vunivalu, who out-maneuvered the defense and simply had to put the ball away.
Replays, however, showed the slightest separation to deny the try, and the Blues marched back onto the field soon after to take the lead.
Even luck was not in the Reds' favor from that point on, a five-eighth Kiwi penalty attempt by Harry Plummer from 45 meters in front of the posts hitting the posts and landing back in the hands of his team A quick switch to the left allowed Forbes to double the lead.
But Queensland showed character and resilience to claw their way back, eventually scoring through prop Jeffrey Toomaga-Allen courtesy of patient and disciplined pick-and-drive work after a Harry Wilson break on the line band
Eventually Vunivalu rallied to score on the break, but between that early mistake, three costly line-out losses with the throw and a couple of scrum penalties on their feed, those mistakes added up enough to see the Blues out out of danger
What will be even more frustrating is the fact that it's the fourth game the Reds should have realistically closed out, only to go down at the death.
Extra-time defeat to the Hurricanes, Moana Pasifika and a one-point breaker at the Brumbies – despite leading by nine deep in the clash – have been the difference between a promising season and a title-contending campaign.
But Wright was adamant that his unit still had the makings of a premiership force.
“Absolutely, that's the belief in the dressing room. It shows we are a team not to be taken lightly,” Wright said.
“We've dropped a couple of games like that, but to become the team we want to be, it's definitely an area we can push forward because we want to close them out.
“We're putting ourselves in good spots against good teams … but I don't have a specific or technical answer for you yet.
“It's hard to take, but we're going to keep trying to save this area.”
McReight lost desperately
The return of Wallabies flanker Fraser McReight could not come soon enough as his teammates struggled in vain against a dominant Blues pack.
McReight had his three-match ban reduced to two weeks for dangerous contact in the loss to Moana Pasifika, having passed the coach's intervention program to face the Crusaders next week.
In his absence, Queensland were at odds over how to withstand the Kiwi juggernaut's explosiveness at the breakdown.
At times in the early exchanges, the Blues looked to get away with their kill when the ball was on the floor.
At one point, the ball was cleared by the foot of a Blues player returning through the ruck, only for play-on to be called.
In another, the visitors had the chance to continue playing for a long period of time after a foul, before a lengthy review saw it go ahead.
Reds manager Les Kiss, when asked about his opinion on how the breakdown was handled, paused for long periods before answering the question.
“Yeah, I have thoughts. It is what it is, that's all there is,” Kiss said.
“It's a part that we just have to try to manage better ourselves, I guess, and we'll take responsibility for what we have. The breakdown is an area that can be interpreted in a lot of different ways, and the things that happen there you leave it up to people who is officiating.”
The Kiss men were brave and fought to the wire, but McReight's ability to force a turnover or two was lost, especially as they tried to close out such a close affair.
