Tortured backline general Berrick Barnes has rated Queensland's disgraceful 31-20 Super 14 defeat to the Lions as humiliating as their record 92-3 thumping by the Bulls two years ago.

Despite only falling by four-tries-to-three at Suncorp Stadium, the Reds were truly dreadful as they sunk to their lowest ebb in another ugly season.

Making the fourth straight defeat even harder to swallow was the fact Queensland failed to put a 13-man Lions outfit to the sword when the game was in the balance in the second half.

Rubbing further salt into the gaping wounds was a season-ending injury to former All Black flanker Daniel Braid who ruptured his Achilles tendon which requires surgery.

"It's pretty hollow, it'll make headlines" a shattered Barnes said. "It's probably up there with the 92-point one. That was just disappointing."

The 92-3 loss to the Bulls in Pretoria in the last round of 2007, the final match of Eddie Jones' forgettable tenure, stands as Queensland rugby's blackest day and remains the worst-ever loss in Super rugby.

Deflated Reds coach Phil Mooney backed Barnes' sentiments, labelling the defeat the worst since he took over last year before signalling he was set to make mass changes "across the board".

"It's a hard one to defend," Mooney said. "This would be the most deflating (loss).

"It was disgraceful. It was not acceptable. We literally gifted them four tries."

In a scathing assessment, Mooney accused half of his side of not fronting up and taking their position for granted, leaving the hard work for the others, led by inside centre Barnes.

"If you play like that and expect to get selected then you're living in a dreamworld," he said.

"I don't care who you are and how many games you've played."

Once again, the Reds didn't find it difficult to break their opponents' defence but were unable to provide the finishing touches near the line with cut-out passes thrown over the sideline and support players grassing clutch balls.

Mooney said his men played dumb rugby while Barnes bemoaned a lack of patience as they failed to cash-in on two thirds of possession, as well as a two-man advantage midway through the second half.

Lions forwards Robert Kruger and Anton van Zyl were both on the sidelines after being sin-binned within a minute of each other but Queensland couldn't make the visitors pay.

The Johannesburg-based Lions taught the hosts a lesson in clinical and precise finishing, as they took almost all of their chances.

Long-striding winger Henno Mentz claimed a hat-trick, capped by a momentum turning 75-metre runaway try from a spilled Reds possession when his team were down to 13 and only leading 24-20.

The dreadful display left Queensland with a 2-7 record, second last on the table and staring down the barrel at a sixth straight bottom-three finish.

As well as Braid's injury, Queensland are likely to be without winger Peter Hynes (knee) for their tough trip to Auckland to play the All Black-studded Blues.

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