by Paul Cook - Take a look at the Queensland Reds’ Super Rugby record since the competition’s inception back in 1996, and the term ‘peaks and troughs’ springs to mind. Three top four finishes in the early years of the then Super 12, and three subsequent semi-final losses, preceded a gradual decline over the next eight years that ended in 2009 with a fourth successive placing in the bottom three. The Ewen McKenzie era triggered a seismic reversal of fortune. The former head coach led a revamped Reds to finals footy in three of his four years at the helm, culminating in 2011’s memorable triumph over the Crusaders at Suncorp Stadium, and an inaugural Super Rugby title. But having reignited the passions of the Queensland rugby fraternity to a point where they were averaging over 34,000 fans for their home games, the three seasons since McKenzie departed for a turbulent tenure with the national side, have seen a return to the lower reaches of the ladder, and the faithful have d