Queensland have slumped to their worst losing streak in 20 years of rugby after suffering a heart-breaking 21-19 Super 14 defeat by the Chiefs at Suncorp Stadium.

The self-destructing Reds let yet another second-half lead slip, their third this season, to fall to their seventh straight loss and stay entrenched on the bottom of the ladder.

Chiefs fly-half Stephen Donald delivered the killer blow in the 77th minute when he slotted a 36m penalty goal to take back the lead after prodigal son Andrew Walker had put the Reds in front just a minute earlier.

In a play which has epitomised their season, lock James Horwill dropped the restart and reserve prop Ernest Skelton was penalised at the breakdown.

Not since Bob Templeton led the amateur Queenslanders to seven consecutive defeats in 1988 has the state suffered such a poor run.

Lock Kristian Ormsby scored both of the Chiefs tries in the scrappy encounter, with his second coming just two minutes into the second half after Queensland held a 16-10 lead at the break.

The television match official was required to endorse Ormsby's five-pointer, coming after Sione Lauaki stormed over the top of Waikato-bred Reds flyhalf Quade Cooper.

Desperate to impress against his childhood province, Cooper had a match he'd rather forget.

The future Wallabies playmaker dropped the ball five times in the opening half, including four in an error-riddled first 18 minutes, but he did atone by setting up the Reds first try.

A deft inside ball to David Croft put the tenacious flanker into space and he shook off a feeble tackle by Sione Lauaki in a 25m run to the line.

It gave the home side their 16-10 lead after their luckiest half of the season.

It was an advantage few of the 16,830 fans could have envisaged after the Chiefs crossed for a soft 15th minute try to Ormsby, who cannily ripped the ball from No.8 Liam Messam, to skip to a 10-3 lead.

But Walker's trusty right boot punished the Chiefs ill-discipline with three penalty goals and a coat-hanging Messam tackle on Peter Hynes gave the Reds a one-man advantage for 10 minutes.

Depressed Reds coach Eddie Jones said the loss hit his players hard.

"We've got guys out there (in the dressing room) bawling their eyes out now," he said.

"Sometimes as an organisation you have to hit rock bottom ... to see how deep-seated your problems are.

"That's five out of eight games now that we've been ahead at the 70-minute mark and I think we've won one."

Jones took aim at whiz-kid Cooper's manager for "bad advice" in pumping him up as a star-in-the-making.

"His manager is pushing him here, there and everywhere," he said.

"At school he was the biggest kid on the block, now he's the smallest kid on the block and it's hard.

"He's an outstanding young player and he doesn't need to be spoken about in a World Cup squad, he shouldn't be talking to the Wallabies coach, he shouldn't be having extra kicking lessons with a punting coach.

"What he should be doing is focusing on playing now and that's what will be best for him, Queensland and Australian rugby."

Jones praised the performance of 33-year-old fullback Walker who gave the Reds the spark and cool head they needed at different times.

Skipper John Roe lamented the lack of self-belief when the match was there to be won.

"I certainly hope it's a learning experience because at the moment, it's just a habit," Roe said.

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