Another road defeat, yet another frustrating missed opportunity - will the Queensland Reds' Super 14 rugby torture ever end?

Reds coach Phil Mooney was more pained than any by Saturday's controversial 24-19 loss to the Highlanders in chilly Invercargill but he's still adamant his young team's on track to end seven years of failure.

Queensland will be hard pressed to turn it around in 2009 with their round nine defeat leaving them second last with a 2-6 record and needing to win all five remaining games to finish with a positive win-loss record.

The last time that happened was in 2002 when they finished fifth, a final-round away defeat to the Highlanders costing them a finals berth.

But Mooney saw enough positive signs, and certainly improvement on recent heavy losses to the Chiefs and Western Force, in the Reds' closest ever result in Highlanders' country to believe they can finish on a high.

Queensland stood up to the intimidating South Islanders' pack, looked more threatening with the ball and were unfortunate to concede three tries which were all clouded in doubt, but again lacked the composure and execution at key moments.

"I wouldn't say we were the better team because the better team wins but we had plenty of opportunities," said Mooney.

"We certainly ticked boxes for attitude and effort but the accuracy is out and we need to be better. When the clutch moments are there we're grassing them.

"What it did show is this group don't like losing. They get so pissed off and when they get in the dressing room you can see the pain and hurt.

"But we've got a lot of talented young guys coming through together and I'm confident we'll get there."

Mooney is the Reds' sixth coach this decade and even though results don't show it much, he's certainly overseen major improvement in his 18 months in charge after Queensland were scarlet-faced wooden-spooners under Eddie Jones in 2007.

Jones made the point early in his tenure, after a 6-3 loss to the Brumbies, that grinding out wins from tight games was the hardest step to take for a rebuilding side.

Mooney uttered similar words on Sunday.

"We've made progress but the next step is win games, and win when maybe we don't deserve to," he said.

The value of experience and quality was highlighted with the return of Wallabies Greg Holmes and Peter Hynes against the Highlanders, when they had enough chances to end a 20-match winless streak on the road.

The Reds will be strengthened again for Saturday's clash with the Lions at Suncorp Stadium with halfback Will Genia back from suspension.

Mooney was well pleased with the extra edge former Highlander Ezra Taylor brought to the breakdown at No.8 and will continue to stick with him, at least until Leroy Houston improves his fitness.

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