Queensland wasted an electric start to short-circuit with "dumb rugby" and suffer a fourth straight Super 14 loss against the Lions at Suncorp Stadium.

The Reds, ahead for most of the night, fell 26-20 in a heart-breaking defeat against the resurgent Johannesburg outfit to almost dash hopes of a finals finish.

Queensland appeared to have the match in their keeping, leading 20-19 with seven minutes remaining and the Reds on the attack near the visitors line.

But a pushed pass, typical of a clumsy second half performance, opened the door for the Lions.

The ball went the length of the field and a slick three-phase play from an attacking lineout was capped by a converted try by skipper Ernst Joubert.

It gave the Lions an amazing fourth straight win and propelled the former toothless Cats to second on the ladder.

"I think we must like losing," said seething Queensland coach Eddie Jones.

"We had them on toast (at 17-6). We just played dumb in the second half.

"There's no excuse for it."

Queensland whiz-kid, 18-year-old Quade Cooper, had earlier announced himself in stunning fashion by transforming the Reds into an adventurous outfit to a 17-6 lead after half an hour.

Playing in his first start at five-eighth, Cooper showed why some judges like former dual international Russell Fairfax rate the Australian Schoolboy recruit better than NSW's wonderkid Kurtley Beale.

"It's heart-breaking to lose like that at the end," Cooper said.

It was flyhalf replacement Andre Pretorius who changed the match for the Lions in the second half, controlling play with his superior kicking game and setting up their first try with a grubber for stand-out centre Jaque Fourie to pounce on inches from the dead-ball line.

Although they were outplayed in the second half the Reds had their chances to score, including a break by new signing Andrew Walker late in the game, but he didn't have the legs.

The Reds night started disastrously when they lost Ben Coutts in the warm-up when he dislocated his shoulder for a second time in a week.

The blow saw 126kg prop Herman Hunt make his run-on debut and teenage Queensland Academy player Gavin Warren sit on the bench after playing 20 minutes of the curtain-raiser against NSW A.

After his first scrum in the 72nd minute, teenager Warren had to be stretchered off with his neck in a brace with eight minutes left, leaving scrums uncontested for the remainder.

But there was some promising signs for the Reds with Cooper and Berrick Barnes combining impressively as Queensland shed its stodgy play in the first half.

The home side set the tone with a surprising backline attack from within their quarter with their first possession and continued the shock tactics throughout an enervating first half.

Cooper had a try 20 minutes into his starting debut, making three touches as he and Mitchell Chapman sent John Roe on a sideline dash before Barnes pounced on a loose pass to brilliantly pop up the money ball for the 18-year-old.

Papua New Guinea-born Will Genia, injected after Nic Berry copped an early head knock, had his own five-pointer just eight minutes later, with Barnes handling twice again after David Croft broke the line.

The Lions stayed in the match through the radar-boot of fullback Earl Rose who landed four straight penalties for a 17-12 deficit.

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