Queensland skipper James Horwill says winning the Super 15 title represents the culmination of a long journey to redemption for the Reds.
A sensation through 2011, the minor premiership-winning Reds have been a champion side and were deserving of their coronation in front of a sold-out crowd at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.
Having clinched their first championship of the professional era with their 18-13 win over the mighty Crusaders, the Reds are arguably at the highest point in their history and entitled to bask in the glory of an unimaginably successful campaign.
But for Horwill and many of the club's long-suffering staff, fans and players, the victory signifies much more than a payoff for a season of hard work.
It means the franchise is finally back where it belongs at the top of the heap and it means atonement for letting it fall to where it did
Just four short years ago, when Ewen McKenzie was coaching the Waratahs and Quade Cooper was still a take-it-or-leave-it prospect playing at inside centre, the Reds and Horwill hit rock bottom, losing by 89 points to the Bulls in their final regular season game.
Present through the darkest hour – except for the 10 minutes he spent in the sin-bin - Horwill's pride in now being a part of the Reds' resurrection shone during his post-match address.
"We spoke of the lowest point in Queensland rugby history was probably that Bulls defeat back in Pretoria - 92-3 or something like that – which was something that I was a part of," he said.
"That's probably the lowest point we've ever been as an organisation and now we're arguably at the highest point we've ever been."
"To do that in a short amount of time has been pretty special and to be part of that is pretty cool, to be honest."
"You always dream about what it would feel like to win a championship and when it does happen it's sort of a surreal experience... I'm lost for words about how I feel about it."
When McKenzie came to coach at the start of 2010, third-last was the best result Queensland had had in the last four years.
He was the man who sparked the culture change and roster overhaul, and he is now the man who says the Reds have 'executed' their past and forged a new image through their performance in 2011.
"The only way we were going to get the recognition was by winning it and we've done that," he said.
"It's quite hard to change perception. You can only do it by performance and you've got to do it over time."
"When I arrived people only talked about that game against the Bulls and every time we played the Bulls they talked about that game."
"Well, they don't talk about that game anymore. So we've moved on. That's important for the organisation and important for rugby in Queensland."