Super Rugby's Cinderella story, the Queensland Reds, officially turned their rags to riches on Saturday night, but might have lost their Slipper before the ball.

Cellar-dwellers until last season, Queensland clinched top spot and a rail's run to a home decider with a last-round win in Hamilton, but their joy was dampened by a worrying injury to scrum anchor James Slipper.

Slipper limped off Waikato Stadium with an ankle strain in just the seventh minute of the Reds' significant 19-11 triumph over a fired-up Chiefs outfit.

The Wallabies tight-head prop will undergo scans after returning to Brisbane on Sunday afternoon, but is considered in grave doubt for the July 2 semi-final at Suncorp Stadium.

Another of the Reds' rising Test forwards, lock Rob Simmons, also failed to finish the grinding victory in the wet in Hamilton due to his own ankle strain.

"It's not ideal," coach Ewen McKenzie told AAP. "Simmo is looking considerably better, but with Slipper, we'll have to wait and see.

"He's sore at the moment so it's not encouraging."

Bringing some respite is the fact reserve prop Greg Holmes was one of the Reds' best performers in the one-try-each encounter, ultimately won through the visitors' breakdown and lineout dominance, as well as their tenacious and disciplined defence.

Waikato-born playmaker Quade Cooper returned to haunt the team he supported as a youngster, kicking five from six, but it was teenage flanker Liam Gill who was the standout.

Gill scored his first Reds' try in the seventh minute to end a 20m pick-and-drive surge and constantly harassed the Chiefs at the breakdown, earning a series of turnovers in only his second run-on start.

Just 19, Gill showed why the Reds were so keen to fly him back from the world under-20 titles in Italy, once ball scavenger Beau Robinson dislocated his elbow three weeks ago.

Another young back-rower Jake Schatz produced the game's pivotal play when he brilliantly held up All Blacks' halfback Brendon Leonard in the 66th minute with his team ahead 19-6.

The victory earned Queensland their third "minor premiership", equalling the efforts of John Connolly's 1996 and 1999 sides.

Although they were unable to finish off a number of try-scoring opportunities, they controlled play in the tight moments and repelled the desperate Chiefs' attack in the final quarter-hour.

"Moving into finals, you need to put in performances like that," Cooper said. "The defence that the boys produced is going to get us across the line in the finals so it was good experience for us."

It was only when the win was virtually in the bag that Queensland's defence cracked, allowing dangerous No.8 Fritz Lee to cross.

McKenzie justifiably rated his young side's performance highly, considering the wet conditions and the Chiefs' desperation to farewell coach Ian Foster, captain Mils Muliaina and six other stalwarts in style.

"To have an average age of 22, playing away from home against the Chiefs with all the emotion involved and the circumstances of the environment, it was a very good win."

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