Surging Queensland are already setting records before a summit showdown with the Crusaders, but Australia's most successful Super Rugby side the Brumbies are staring at the season from hell.

The Reds (50 points) established a Queensland Super franchise record of 10 victories in a season with Friday night's thrilling 37-31 home win over the Blues (49) at Suncorp Stadium to jump ahead of them into first place.

While Queensland can enjoy a bye week before hosting the Crusaders (44), who surprisingly lost to the Cheetahs (29), the 13th-placed Brumbies (22) are in turmoil.

Outgoing coach Tony Rea ripped into players and the administration after Saturday night's embarrassing 29-20 home loss to the last-placed Lions (19).

His tirade followed the Brumbies' ninth loss, the most defeats the two-time champions have suffered in a Super Rugby campaign.

Rea, who will be replaced next year by 2007 Springbok World Cup-winning coach Jake White, said the Brumbies are "a mob without any fight".

And he said the Brumbies are an organisation which makes too many soft decisions.

Brumbies chief executive Andrew Fagan, who sacked coach Andy Friend after two rounds, spoke to Rea on Sunday and said he believed the comments had been designed to motivate the team and the coach would see out the season.

White arrives in Canberra on Monday for a week-long stay and will have plenty to ponder.

While the Brumbies have gone from being Australia's Super Rugby leader to an also-ran, the Reds have the chance to complete a journey in the opposite direction.

Their bonus-point victory over the Blues moves them 10 points clear at the top of the Australian conference.

The sixth-placed NSW Waratahs (40) had a bye.

Queensland led 24-0 early on at, but were pulled back to 27-24 before closing out a thrilling game, which proved a pleasant relief after the profusion of drab kick-infested Australian derbies played this season.

Winger Digby Ioane was named man of the match, and later hosed down a report he was heading to Japanese club Kubota.

Queensland coach Ewen McKenzie described the run of eight wins out of nine games since their previous bye as "a fantastic result for this squad".

Five-eighth Quade Cooper scored 22 points for the Reds, who'll likely spend part of their bye week working on their scrummaging, after being dominated in that area by the Blues.

Newcomers Melbourne (19) are only just above the Lions at the foot of the ladder, after crashing 47-10 to the Bulls (36) in their first match on South African soil.

The Rebels (19) conceded seven tries, six of them in the first half, becoming the first team this season to concede more than 400 points.

In other games, the Stormers (44) were upset 30-23 by the Chiefs (29), and the Highlanders (39) scored at 13-6 win over the Hurricanes (25).

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