The Hurricanes have extended their remarkable hoodoo over Queensland to a decade and 10 matches, securing a vital 31-27 victory at Suncorp Stadium that propelled them into fourth position and left the Reds’ finals hopes hanging by a thread.

Key moments:

2′ – Ruben Love capitalises on fortuitous ricochet for early strike (0-7)
4′ – Tate McDermott responds immediately with trademark snipe (7-7)
9′ – Tom Lynagh breaks Reds’ season-long penalty drought (10-7)
29′ – Fatafehi Fineanganofo crashes over after Billy Proctor break (10-12)
34′ – Lynagh restores Reds advantage with 40-metre penalty (13-12)
36′ – Cam Roigard produces moment of magic with solo effort (13-19)
39′ – Proctor powers over on stroke of half-time (13-26)
42′ – McDermott crosses for second after Jock Campbell break (20-26)
56′ – Joe Brial’s brutal 20-phase try gives Reds the lead (27-26)
66′ – Fineanganofo’s spectacular corner finish proves decisive (27-31)
71′ – Du’Plessis Kirifi’s crucial turnover denies Reds late chance

In a warm Brisbane evening before a capacity crowd following the earlier Wallaroos match against Canada, this fourth-versus-fifth encounter delivered the drama its billing promised. The match began at breakneck pace, with both teams recognising the stakes involved in what could prove a season-defining encounter.

On the edge of our seats! 🤯

An epic match at Suncorp Stadium and the @Hurricanesrugby head home with the victory 💪#SuperRugbyPacific #REDvHUR pic.twitter.com/E4mV2lHRfI

— Super Rugby Pacific (@SuperRugby) May 23, 2025

The Hurricanes struck within 90 seconds through a moment of pure fortune that perfectly encapsulated rugby’s unpredictable nature. Callum Harkin’s speculative grubber from a strong forward platform appeared to be drifting harmlessly towards the Reds defence until it struck a Queensland boot and ricocheted back towards the visitors’ attacking line. Love, demonstrating the spatial awareness that has made him such a threat at Super Rugby level, read the deflection perfectly and regathered the ball unmarked, racing the final 10 metres to dot down beside the posts with the Reds defence scrambling in vain.

Queensland’s response was swift and emphatic, demonstrating the character that has defined their campaign. From the restart, the hosts worked methodically upfield before earning a penalty deep in Hurricanes territory. Rather than opt for the lineout drive that had become their trademark throughout 2025, captain McDermott made the decisive call to kick for the corner. The ensuing lineout was executed to perfection, with Josh Canham delivering clean ball to the charging forwards.

What followed was vintage McDermott. As the Reds forwards recycled possession close to the line, the halfback loitered around the fringes before spotting the narrowest of gaps beside the ruck. His trademark dart took him between two covering defenders, and he stretched to plant the ball beneath the posts with Love and Roigard converging too late to prevent the score. Lynagh’s conversion levelled proceedings at 7-all with just four minutes elapsed.

The next pivotal moment carried significance far beyond its three-point value. After working their way methodically upfield through Lynagh’s tactical kicking, the Reds earned another penalty 22 metres from goal. For a team that had eschewed penalty goal attempts throughout the entire 2025 campaign – an astonishing drought stretching nearly 1,000 minutes of rugby – the decision to point to the posts represented a seismic shift in approach.

Lynagh stepped forward with the weight of expectation heavy on his shoulders. The 20-year-old’s technique was flawless, the ball sailing through the uprights to ignite Suncorp Stadium and end one of Super Rugby’s most remarkable statistical anomalies. The coaching box exchanged knowing smiles whilst the crowd erupted in appreciation of this tactical evolution.

The middle period of the first half belonged to the breakdown specialists, with Fraser McReight and Du’Plessis Kirifi engaging in a personal duel that exemplified everything compelling about openside play. McReight’s early pilfer on the Hurricanes’ 22-metre line demonstrated his reading of the game, whilst Kirifi responded with a thunderous tackle on Zane Nonggorr that left the prop in no doubt about the intensity levels required.

However, it was the final 10 minutes of the half that proved decisive, beginning with Billy Proctor’s moment of individual brilliance. The All Black centre’s acceleration through a narrow channel caught the Reds defence flat-footed, his powerful step taking him past Hunter Paisami before he drew covering defenders towards him. His perfectly-timed pass created a two-on-one overlap, allowing Fineanganofo to power through the final line of defence and slam the ball down in the left corner despite the desperate attentions of two Queensland defenders.

Lynagh’s response was immediate. From fully 42 metres and at a challenging angle, the young playmaker struck his penalty attempt with authority and precision, the ball splitting the uprights to restore Queensland’s lead and demonstrate the tactical maturity that has marked his breakthrough season.

Yet the Hurricanes reserved their most devastating blow for the 36th minute. As Queensland recycled possession deep in their own territory, Roigard spotted an opportunity that existed only in his peripheral vision. The All Blacks halfback’s chip kick from the base of the ruck was weighted to perfection, drifting over the advancing Reds defence before bouncing cruelly for fullback Jock Campbell.

Campbell, who had been solid under the high ball throughout the half, found himself wrong-footed by the bounce as the ball kicked sideways off the Suncorp Stadium turf. Roigard, following his kick with the anticipation of a natural predator, regathered possession before Campbell could recover his positioning and sprinted the final 15 metres untouched, diving beneath the posts to complete one of the tries of the season.

The psychological impact of Roigard’s brilliance was immediately apparent. As Queensland attempted to regroup from the restart, handling errors began to creep into their play. Peter Umaga-Jensen capitalised with a barnstorming 30-metre break that took the Hurricanes deep into home territory, setting the platform for the coup de grâce.

With Queensland’s defence scrambled and time running out in the half, the Hurricanes worked their way through the phases with clinical precision. Umaga-Jensen’s initial charge had created the space, and when the ball was recycled quickly to the left, Proctor spotted his opportunity. The centre’s low, driving run took him through two would-be tacklers before he spun out of a third attempt to ground the ball beside the posts with the half-time siren wailing across Suncorp Stadium.

The interval break appeared to galvanise Queensland, who emerged for the second half with renewed intensity and purpose. Within 90 seconds of the restart, they had reduced the deficit through a move of stunning simplicity and execution.

Campbell, having passed his HIA assessment during the break, immediately set about making amends for his first-half struggles with the high ball. The fullback’s angled run from deep inside his own half sliced through the Hurricanes’ defensive line like a knife through butter, his pace and timing causing confusion amongst the covering defenders.

As three Hurricanes converged on him, Campbell demonstrated the vision that has marked him as one of Queensland’s most dangerous attacking weapons. His inside pass to McDermott was perfectly weighted, allowing the halfback to glide through the gap and dot down beneath the posts untouched. Lynagh’s conversion made it 26-20, and suddenly the 13-point half-time deficit appeared far less insurmountable.

The momentum had shifted decisively, and Queensland seized upon it with relish. Their forward pack, led by the barnstorming runs of Harry Wilson and the tireless work of McReight at the breakdown, began to assert territorial dominance. Phase after phase followed as the Reds methodically worked their way upfield, testing the Hurricanes’ defensive resolve with each carry.

The breakthrough came in the 56th minute through a try that will be replayed for years to come. Starting from their own goal-line, the Reds embarked on a 20-phase odyssey that encompassed the full width of Suncorp Stadium and showcased everything compelling about modern rugby union.

Filipo Daugunu’s initial break down the left touchline had provided the spark, his footwork and acceleration taking him past two defenders before he was hauled down just inside the Hurricanes’ half. Jeffrey Toomaga-Allen continued the momentum with a powerful carry that drove Queensland deep into the visitors’ 22-metre area.

What followed was a masterclass in patient, structured attack. Pick-and-go followed pick-and-go as the Queensland forwards inched towards the line, each carry met by desperate Hurricanes defence. The decisive moment came when McDermott spotted Joe Brial lurking wide on the left, the ball spinning out to the back-rower just 15 metres from the try-line.

Brial’s finish was a thing of beauty and brute force combined. The Wallaby prospect powered through the initial contact before dragging three Hurricanes defenders with him as he crossed the chalk, his dive for the line reminiscent of the great number eights of previous generations. Lynagh’s conversion from the touchline was never in doubt, and Queensland had their first lead since the opening quarter at 27-26.

Suncorp Stadium erupted as the home faithful sensed a famous victory, but their celebrations proved premature. Within five minutes, a crucial lineout overthrow from Raymond Tuputupu had gifted Queensland possession in prime attacking territory. Josh Nasser, alert to the opportunity, gathered the wayward throw and set the Reds backline in motion with quick hands from left to right.

The two-on-one opportunity was there for the taking, with Hunter Paisami carrying into space with Tim Ryan and Lachie Anderson unmarked outside him. Yet as Paisami shaped to pass, Devan Flanders’ despairing tackle attempt succeeded in dislodging the ball, and suddenly the Hurricanes were streaming back upfield with Bailyn Sullivan leading the counter-attack.

The visitors’ response was swift and clinical. From the breakdown on halfway, they worked the overlap with precision passing that showcased their superior ball-handling skills under pressure. When the ball reached Flanders on the left wing, his perfectly-timed pass to the supporting Fineanganofo created the opportunity for the match-winning score.

Fineanganofo’s finish in the left corner was spectacular, his dive for the line with his body parallel to the ground ensuring he remained in touch as he grounded the ball. It was a try that combined athletic ability with technical precision, and it restored the Hurricanes’ lead at 31-27 with 14 minutes remaining.

The closing stages belonged to Kirifi, whose dominance at the breakdown ultimately decided the contest. The South African’s crucial intervention came in the 71st minute as Queensland mounted one final assault on the Hurricanes’ try-line.

Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, introduced as a second-half substitute, had appeared to create the breakthrough with a delightful step that took him through the first line of defence and set Tim Ryan racing towards the corner. Yet just as Queensland appeared poised to reclaim the lead, Kirifi struck with a textbook turnover that exemplified his reading of the game.

The penalty award stopped the Reds in their tracks, and despite their desperate attempts to regain possession in the dying minutes, the Hurricanes demonstrated the game management of a side accustomed to closing out tight victories. Ereatara Enari’s kick to touch as the final siren sounded confirmed a victory that felt both hard-earned and thoroughly deserved.

The victory elevated the Hurricanes to fourth position on the ladder and secured their place in the six-team finals series with a round to spare. Their superior head-to-head record against Queensland – now 14 wins from their past 15 encounters spanning 12 years – continues to defy logical explanation but speaks to their ability to rise to the occasion in pressure moments.

For Queensland, the defeat leaves their finals hopes in the balance. Sitting fifth on the table, just one point behind the Hurricanes, they must defeat the Fijian Drua in their final regular season match whilst hoping for favourable results elsewhere to secure a top-four berth that could prove crucial under the new finals format.

“We’re really disappointed with the result. We played heaps of good footy but went to sleep for 10 minutes before half time and couldn’t get back into it,” McDermott reflected post-match. “The forward pack’s been massive for us all year. The forwards are the heartbeat of the club at the moment and playing out of their skin – we’ve just got to give them a little bit more.”

The captain acknowledged that his side’s destiny was no longer entirely in their own hands. “Coming towards the pointy end, destiny’s out of our hands at the moment. We’ll see what happens next week and we’ve got a huge game against the Drua on Saturday.”

Reds coach Les Kiss chose not to criticise the officiating despite some contentious late decisions, instead focusing on his team’s overall effort and the areas that required improvement. “The boys really put in a shift, we just couldn’t get a break at the end there, in any form, to help us out,” Kiss said. “We’ll take responsibility for the little things that we didn’t get right in the first half. That little ten minute period was costly.”