Melbourne Rebels co-captain Scott Fuglistaller says his team needs to play with their heads as well as hearts when they take on Queensland in their Good Friday Super Rugby clash.

The Rebels host the Reds at AAMI Park looking for their first home win of the season.

Melbourne are coming off a 36-12 loss to the undefeated Hurricanes, who they led at halftime.

Fuglistaller said his team couldn’t show more effort in their six games for two wins, but they needed to play smarter.

“We’ve been playing really, really hard but not smart enough and that’s our biggest thing,” the Kiwi-born flanker said.

“Everyone plays with so much heart and runs themselves into the ground every week but it’s about being smarter.”

The Rebels battered the Hurricanes tryline solidly for nine minutes late in the match but couldn’t find a way through.

Fuglistaller said their attacking systems, as well as game management in general had been a focus this week.

“This week will be a good test as our coaches have put in some really good systems and technical issues to get us through those green zones and scoring points,” he said.

Queensland have only managed one win in a disappointing start but the Rebels feel their opponents are building towards a good performance.

They have code-hopper Karmichael Hunt on the bench for his first game back from a six-week suspension.

“The Reds have got a lot of experience and guys coming back from injury so it’s just a matter of time before they put a complete performance together,” Fuglistaller said.

“They’ve had close games like us but they’re looking for that final polish, a lot like us.

“It’s going to be a tight and interesting game.”