Les Kiss's Queensland Reds tenure has begun with flashes of brilliance and moments of plain ridiculousness as the hosts beat the NSW Waratahs in a nine-try Super Rugby Pacific skirmish.

The Reds' 40-22 win at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night wasn't short of highlights, the rivals chancing their arms in a feisty season opener.

The hosts also won the scrum, ruck and line-out in a tick for Kiss, the former Queensland State of Origin winger with a decade of European coaching experience who has replaced long-term mentor Brad Thorn.

Kiss had encouraged his men to test their limits and they certainly did that, fullback Jordan Petaia the ultimate example in front of 14,593 fans.

The enigmatic two-time World Cup centre mixed errors with the incredible.

His torpedoed volley, booted out of the air as he ran towards the sideline to gather a long Waratahs kick, soared more than 50 metres down the sideline was hard to believe.

He was also awarded a penalty try on halftime when Max Jorgensen was ruled to have tackled him before regathering winger Suliasi Vunivalu's clever grubber while at full flight.

That try gave the Reds a 21-15 lead and sent the fullback, returning from a broken leg, to the bin for 10 minutes.

After six lead changes in the first half the Reds then put the foot down.

Matt Faessler crossed for his second try of the night and Tate McDermott scored in the corner from Harry Wilson's trick play, the superb No.8 heeling to himself and flicking a pass between his legs to the halfback.

Dylan Pietsch then used pace and some luck to grab his second for the visitors, a pass inside bouncing off a Reds defender and back into his hands to score.

But Fraser McReight's effort soon after shut down any hopes of a comeback, Vunivalu evasive and No.13 Josh Flook running a great line to put the flanker over after Petaia's incredible kick earned them prime field position.