Another half-time lead down the drain, more competition points gone begging for a side "not giving ourselves an opportunity to win because we're giving too many penalties away".

The ACT Brumbies' Super W hopes are hanging by a thread after falling 15-10 to the Queensland Reds at Canberra Stadium on Friday night.

The Brumbies spent the bulk of the final 20 minutes with 14 players on the field after Pearl Rakete followed Siokapesi Palu to the sin bin, and the Reds didn't need a second invitation.

A 71^st minute Liz Patu try gifted the Reds their first lead of the game, and it was one they wouldn't surrender against an ill-disciplined Brumbies outfit who again shot themselves in the foot.

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"It's another heartbreaking loss. For the third week in a row we were our own worst enemy," Brumbies coach Hawke said.

"We were just probably a little bit slow to the breakdown in the first half in our own attack and we gave away way too many penalties in the second half.

"I probably won't say too much [to the squad]. They know the result, they know what they've done there's no point going hard on them.

"The Brumbies know, we know, management knows how much talent is in this group and we're just not getting the job done. We're not giving ourselves an opportunity to win because we're giving too many penalties away."

Queensland arrived with a game plan to upset Brumbies playmaker Ash Hewson. But it was a different weapon powering the hosts' hopes of a maiden win over the Reds.

A Brumbies forward pack powered by Shellie Milward, Louise Burrows, Grace Kemp and Oneata Schwalger kept the hosts in the fight after Iris Verebalavu went off injured early.

Burrows remains one of the elite talents in Australian rugby at 44 years old, desperate to fulfil her ambition of playing at a fifth World Cup for the Wallaroos this year.

Former Wallabies lock Justin Harrison and ex-Wallaroo Kristy Giteau both suggested Burrows could still be a crucial weapon for Australia at this year's World Cup in New Zealand.

"I've got to just say how impressive it is that 'Cookie' Burrows is playing tighthead, and a dominant tighthead at her age, and then going straight to lineouts and throwing lineouts," Harrison said on Stan Sport.

"It's an entirely different dynamic in the scrum if you're tighthead and a hooker. To be able to have that engine at that age and do what she's doing ... I'd like everyone to pause for a moment and think about that, because that is impressive."

It was another veteran who broke the deadlock with Brumbies captain Rebecca Smyth scoring the first try off the back of a maul. Queensland returned serve via Patu, but the visitors still trailed 10-5 at the break.

Brumbies coach Dan Hawke will have urged patience at the break. To date his side had coughed up half-time leads against the NSW Waratahs and Melbourne Rebels to leave their finals hopes hanging by a thread.

But it was the Reds who struck first after the break via tighthead prop Madi Schuck to level the ledger, and the visitors dominated territory for the bulk of the second stanza.

It was enough to leave the Brumbies wondering if two faded Hewson penalty attempts - one in the first half and another in the second - would come back to bite them before Patu landed the killer blow.

AT A GLANCE

Super W round three: QUEENSLAND REDS 15 (Liz Patu 2, Madi Schuck tries) bt ACT BRUMBIES 10 (Rebecca Smyth try; Ash Hewson conversion; Hewson penalty) at Canberra Stadium.

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