Queensland rugby coach Ewen McKenzie has warned he may modify the Reds' exhilarating style because of his opponent's tactics at the breakdown.

The Reds have delighted spectators and earned widespread acclaim for their commitment to running rugby which has underpinned their remarkable resurgence this season.

Under McKenzie, Queensland have been transformed form perennial easybeats to respected opposition and have even threatened to make the Super 14 semi-finals for the first time in nine years.

However, successive big losses to the Brumbies and Hurricanes have bumped the Reds out of the four and have taken control of their finals destiny out of their own hands.

They enter next week's final round home fixture against the Highlanders outside of the four following Friday's 44-21 loss to the Hurricanes in Wellington.

And McKenzie suggested he could alter his team's approach after becoming increasingly irked by what he perceives as spoiling tactics at the breakdown adopted by other sides to counter his team's attacking play.

"We've worked hard on the laws of the game and tried to make an advantage out of that," McKenzie told AAP from Wellington.

"It's quite clear now that teams have worked out that you just dive at the breakdown and make a bunfight there that can stop the continuity of the game.

"We started the season expecting a fairly strict management of the tackler rolling away.

"I think that's been creeping and so therefore it makes it harder to play. We might have to change the philosophy of how we play the game based on what's happening at the breakdown.

"We're not going to play rugby where we just go out there and try and make all the play and give opportunities to the opposition.

"It's disappointing. We've tried to play with a fair bit of spirit and we designed that around the laws of the game, but it's shifting at the moment, so we'll have to reconsider."

Asked if that meant adopting a more conservative approach McKenzie said "we might have to go back to the drawing board because clearly spoiling tactics makes it too easy to ruin it."

McKenzie conceded his own team's poor discipline cost them dearly against the Hurricanes after they squandered a 21-8 lead.

The Hurricanes scored a long range try from a tap penalty after the halftime siren and ran in two more in the first 11 minutes after the break when Queensland flanker Anthony Shaw was in the sin-bin for a lifting tackle.

McKenzie made it clear Queensland didn't deserve to be in contention for a semi-final spot based on their last two performances.

"We were disappointed with our application across 80 minutes the last two weeks and we've got to resuscitate ourselves there," McKenzie said.

"To to be honest we shouldn't even be looking at the ladder, we're not good enough to be looking at the ladder.

"We just need to look at our own performance and regardless of where we end up after this weekend, just focus on putting a half decent performance on the paddock in front of the home crowd."

Quade Cooper's three conversions against the Hurricanes took his season points tally to 158, eclipsing the previous Queensland Super record of 155, set in 1996 by former captain and champion lock John Eales.

McKenzie was pleased with the busy Reds debut of former Wallabies lock Radike Samo.

Speedy winger Rod Davies reinjured his hamstring, while flanker Daniel Braid is the only member of Queensland's extensive casualty list with a chance of returning next week.

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP