Alaalatoa put in an 80-minute shift in the Super Rugby AU grand final to lead the Brumbies to a drought-breaking title win over the Queensland Reds at Canberra Stadium on Saturday.

"I thought we needed his leadership out there, his calmness and composure," McKellar said.

"He scrummaged really well, hit a thousand rucks, and did his job well, and played a huge role in us sitting here with our friend."

That friend McKellar spoke of was the latest addition to the Brumbies family - the Super Rugby AU trophy sitting between the pair post-match.

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Noah Lolesio resembles anything but a player who hit "a pretty big low" just two months ago as he wraps his hands around the Super Rugby AU trophy.

The man of the match in the decider may have earned a Wallabies jersey after starring for the Brumbies, but not so long ago he feared his season was over due to a hamstring injury.

"I was at a pretty big low in the first couple of days," Lolesio said.

"I felt like I was getting a good roll on when I was playing before my injury. Obviously it happened, and that's footy. I just took it day by day, and set little goals every week, and it has paid off."

"To be honest I was more worried about my lungs than anything. My hamstring pulled up really well. I had full confidence coming into this game. It's awesome, winning a grand final."

The Brumbies had their backs to the wall as the Queensland Reds mounted a late charge. The lead had dwindled to five and the hosts were in need of a lift.

A crowd of 6000 - the biggest Canberra Stadium had hosted in six months due to coronavirus restrictions - provided exactly what the hosts were craving.

"I did [feel it], and the boys definitely did," Alaalatoa said.

"It was huge. It felt like it was a full stadium, especially when our backs were against the wall with five minutes to go, they really brought us home there. It was a great time for us to get that win, in front of our fans."

Brad Thorn will take a chance to weigh up his future after the Queensland Reds fell painfully short of giving him a fitting reward for presiding over a cultural rebuild.

The visitors were undone by ill-discipline and injuries to winger Jordan Petaia and forward enforcer Lukhan Salakai-Loto.

"But the guys showed what they've showed all the way along, which is their ticker and resilience," Thorn said.

"Their determination to get back into the game, it was pretty close in the end, wasn't it? But, at the end of the day, it's not much fun losing grand finals, is it? We came down here to get a job done and came close but didn't get there."