There was obvious disappointment but the strongest emotion Dubbo Rhinos coach Doug Sandry felt on Sunday afternoon was pride.
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The Rhinos' first grade side had its season ended on the weekend as the Mudgee Wombats scored a 21-8 minor semi-final win in their final ever match at Jubilee Oval.
There was frustration and regret about how a few things panned out for the Rhinos in the do-or-die fixture but Sandry much preferred to focus on the great strides his club made in 2021.
When he took over as coach at the start of the season he was working with a side that hadn't won a game - outside a forfeit - since May of 2018.
But with a new approach, a renewed focus on attitude and discipline, and a few handy recruits the Rhinos not only got back to winning ways but also secured a spot in the New Holland Agriculture Cup for the first time.
"We've turned a corner and we're building to something special," Sandry said after Sunday's loss.
"We're not far away."
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The coach added he was already looking forward to next season and was certain further development will be on show in 2022 after the players fully committed to what he and the club introduced this season.
There were times in the past when rival clubs would dread facing the Rhinos as lopsided matches often descended into violence and featured plenty of cards, but this year there was praise from those same clubs about how things had changed.
"We don't want fighting and we don't cop that," Sandry said.
"Off the field you behave respectfully and on the field you do the same thing but they are rugby players and sometimes you're going to fly close to the line.
"We're on an upward spiral and if you told us at the start of the year we'd have our first grade side lose an elimination semi, our seconds would be in a final, and colts were sitting second I'd have taken it."
The Wombats had a huge amount to play for on Sunday as the elimination match was the club's final game at their spiritual home ground before a move to the Glen Willow Complex next season.
That desire and determination showed early on while the Rhinos were left to deal with injuries to two important players inside the opening five minutes.
Influential flyhalf Dale Smith suffered an ankle knock and while he carried on he was hampered throughout the match, while No. 8 Joe Raikabula was forced off with a hamstring injury and didn't return.
The Rhinos again battled with discipline and were a little overzealous in defence at times and the Wombats were able to skip out to a 13-0 lead at the break.
Penalties continued against the Rhinos in the second half and they were shown three yellow cards throughout the match.
Despite that, a try to prop Brett Austin and a Dale Smith penalty got the score back to 13-8 and gave the visitors some momentum.
We're really, really proud of the effort.
- Doug Sandry
But a further penalty and try for Wombats against an exhausted Rhinos pack late on secured victory and passage through to a preliminary final meeting with CSU next weekend.
"We're really, really proud of the effort," Sandry said.
"They (Wombats) turned up ready to play and we matched them the whole game, but unfortunately when the penalties flow against you and you lose discipline and get some cards against you it doesn't help."
Sandry felt discipline wasn't a continual problem throughout the season but it did cost the Rhinos at times in recent weeks.
His feeling wasn't it because of any malice or ill-intent, rather just the enthusiasm and the eagerness to deliver the style of play the coach has asked for.
"It's something we haven't done before, we push close to the line and we really work extra hard to man-up and get the line speed right and sometimes you get it wrong," Sandry said.
"Many of the penalties were because we were too aggressive off the line and unfortunately that line-speed cost us a few penalties and two of the yellow cards were because of repeated infringements.
"It is what it is, but I couldn't have been more proud of them. They were simply outstanding. They tackled themselves to a stand-still and blokes were collapsing to the ground at full-time."
Kel Rumble was one of the standouts in a beaten team, with Sandry describing his effort as "simply outstanding", while fullback Chris Daley and Uraia Saratibau impressed and the forward pack's intensity never faltered.
The Rhinos will still be on show at next weekend's preliminary final day at Bathurst as the second grade outfit won it's minor semi-final 25-5 over CSU.
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