It's official. Ewen McKenzie has achieved more in one-and-a-half seasons with the Queensland Reds than his three predecessors managed over five barren years.
The Reds' drought-breaking 19-15 triumph over arch-rivals NSW was Queensland's 16th win since McKenzie took the helm at Ballymore last year.
The sweet 16 have been registered
in just 22 matches under former Waratahs coach McKenzie who has turned the Super Rugby basket cases into genuine title contenders.
The previous five seasons - under Jeff Miller, Eddie Jones and Phil Mooney - reaped a meagre 15 victories in 63 matches as the Reds wallowed in the bottom three on the ladder.
"That's a great statistic - and numbers don't lie," Queensland prop Ben Daley told AAP.
"It's a simple case that Ewen has provided a competitive culture and provided an environment where players can play to their strengths.
"He's provided all players within the squad equal opportunity and consistently rewarded performance. That's all you can ask for as a player."
Daley, 22, has epitomised the rewards for performance by surprisingly cementing himself as the Reds' starting loose-head ahead of Test front-rower Greg Holmes last season before going on to debut for the Wallabies.
The son of former Kangaroos and Manly league prop Phil Daley, he was a bloodied casualty of Saturday night's bruising grudge match.
Daley required surgery on Sunday after having his nose badly broken in a tackle on Ben Mowen which also knocked him out cold.
He's in doubt for this Saturday night's meeting with the under-performing Hurricanes in Wellington but was still able to celebrate a hoodoo-busting win against the Waratahs.
"Everyone was quite jubilant after the siren but having said that there's still eight more games to go and we understand that," Daley said.
"We still have to face some really daunting tasks, especially against the New Zealand sides.
"We don't want to rest on our laurels and lose that winning feeling because it can be hard to get it back."
Currently on a seven-match winning streak, the Reds' standing on top of the competition will be fully tested when they meet high-flying New Zealand teams the Blues and Crusaders next month.
"We don't have a bye until May 21 so it's full steam ahead and none of the games in front of us are easy," said McKenzie.
"The Hurricanes are not to be underestimated.
"The team is full of All Blacks and would-be All Blacks so we need to be on top of our game."
Daley, fellow prop James Slipper (collarbone), three-quarter Digby Ioane (facial laceration) and winger Rod Davies (knee) will be assessed on Tuesday.
- AAP
It's official. Ewen McKenzie has achieved more in one-and-a-half seasons with the Queensland Reds than his three predecessors managed over five barren years.
The Reds' drought-breaking 19-15 triumph over arch-rivals NSW was Queensland's 16th win since McKenzie took the helm at Ballymore last year.
The sweet 16 have been registered
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