The Reds got their Super 14 season back on track with a thumping 40-8 victory over the Bulls at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.

The fired-up "rookie Reds" tonight pulled off the biggest turnaround in Super rugby history with a stunning 40-8 boilover against the Bulls at Suncorp Stadium.

Queensland gained immediate revenge for the darkest day in the state's proud rugby history when they were humiliated 92-3 in Pretoria in last season's last round.

Their five-tries-to-one victory over the ill-disciplined Bulls marked a remarkable 121-point turnaround that may never be eclipsed.

Coach Phil Mooney made six changes to the side that fell 34-16 to the Stormers last week and also handed the captaincy to heroic halfback Sam Cordingley.

When under-fire NSW recruit Morgan Turinui capped his best game in maroon with a try in the 72nd minute from a Quade Cooper chip, the Reds had secured their first bonus-point victory in four years.

Former skipper John Roe then celebrated a bitter-sweet week by barging over for his fifth five-pointer of the season after a storming run from talismanic fullback Chris Latham.

Close mates Latham and Turinui, both off the boil in the past three weeks, sparked the young Queenslanders in the first half and were crucial when the Pretoria-based reigning champions promised a fightback midway through the second half.

The amazed 14,411-strong crowd gave the Reds a standing ovation as they left the field.

"I'm so proud of the boys," stand-out leader Cordingley told Fox Sports. "They've copped a lot the last few weeks. I just asked them to trust each other.

"That's probably one of our best performances in a long time."

Mooney rated the cherished upset a "defining moment" for the rebuilding Reds.

"It's a great moment for Queensland rugby," he said.

"Right from the first kick-off our young guys really aimed up.

"We've been hearing since last year all about Pretoria so we wanted payback."

Clinton Schifcofske bagged a career-best haul of 20 points, including a crucial 52nd-minute try when Springboks winger Bryan Habana embarrassingly fumbled a kick through on the Reds line.

The disappointing Bulls now travel to the Chiefs while the Reds head to South Africa to begin their tour against the Lions.

Reds (13) 40
Tries: Latham, Hynes, Schifcofske, Turinui, Roe
Con: Schifcofske (3)
Pen: Schifcofske (3)

Bulls (3) 8
Try: Du Preez
Pen: Hougaard

Reds: Chris Latham, Clinton Schifcofske, Morgan Turinui, Berrick Barnes, Peter Hynds, Quade Cooper, Sam Cordingley (captain), Leroy Houston, Poutasi Luafutu, John Roe, James Horwill, Van Humphries, Dayna Edwards, Sean Hardman, Greg Holmes. Reserves: Stephen Moore, Rodney Blake, Ed O'Donoghue, David Croft, Ben Lucas, Brando Va'aulu, Scott Higginbotham.

Bulls: Morne Steyn, Akona Ndungane, JP Nel, Wynand Olivier, Bryan Habana, Derick Hougaard, Fourie Du Preez (captain), Pedrie Wannenburg, Wikus van Heerden, Danie Rossouw, Wilhelm Steenkamp, Bakkies Botha, Rayno Gerber, Derick Kuun, Gurthro Steenkamp. Reserves: James van der Walt, Werner Kruger, Dean Greyling, Deon Stegmann, Heini Adams, Stephanus Christiaan Dippenaar, Dewald Johan Potgieter