Queensland captain Berrick Barnes remains upbeat about his side's Super 14 finals prospects despite the Reds suffering their 18th straight away defeat on Friday night.

NSW's 15-11 victory was also the Reds' fifth successive loss in the interstate derby and left the Reds languishing closer to the foot of the competition ladder than the top-four playoff zone.

Barnes, though, was refusing to fret over Queensland's one-from-four start to the tournament.

The midfield playmaker felt it was merely a matter of time before the Reds turned the corner after falling desperately short of ending NSW's unbeaten start to 2009.

"The way we started the second half was our best footy of the season," Barnes said.

"I won't say we were unlucky, but we were one pass away from really opening it up there. I think that could have changed the game had we scored after halftime.

"I suppose that hurt us. It's disappointing we couldn't go on with it.

"But, look, it's exciting to be a part of (this developing Queensland team). We are this close and we've just got to keep working away at it.

"This is the best I've felt playing against the Waratahs for the last three years and the best I've felt as a team.

"We created chances and we've just got to finish that. Closing games out has been our Achilles heel, so we'll look to the drawing board again this week and we'll keep working at it.

Defiant coach Phil Mooney also insisted the Reds could still make a run at the finals.

"We certainly don't feel out of it. We've had our opportunities in every game," he said.

"The reality is, as Berrick said, that doesn't get you in semi-finals - you have to win games.

"We have to start to do that, but we're just thinking about the Sharks next week."

Queensland's hopes of springing an upset over NSW were not helped by Van Humphries aggravating a shoulder injury in the second half.

The Reds lost several lineouts on their own throw in the absence of their ball-winning lock and are sweating on x-rays clearing Humphries to tackle the Sharks next Saturday night in Brisbane.

Fellow second rower Hugh McMeniman, who bravely played against the Waratahs despite his father passing away on Friday afternoon, is also in doubt after hyper-extending his knee.

Still, Barnes was preferring to look on the bright side and said he was excited by the imminent return from a long-term foot injury of lock and captain James Horwill.

"I'm still very positive about this season," Barnes said.

"I'm more positive than I have been in years gone by. We'll get Kevvie (Horwill) back in a couple of weeks and that's going to be massive.

"Hopefully Van's injury isn't too bad. And if we can get guys coming back and guys in the second XV playing well, we're definitely in a lot better state than we have been.

"The last few years we've had injuries coming and we've got to this stage of the year and we've lost McMeniman, (prop Greg) Holmes, these sort of guys.

"But we're intact and that's the best thing about it and the most positive thing going into next week and we've got to come up with the goods playing at home against the Sharks."

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