Orana Spurs coach Ben Manson has described missing out on any kind of recognition this year as "heartbreaking".
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The Western Premier League announced on Wednesday no premiership or minor premiership would be awarded this year after the 2021 season was abandoned last week.
Spurs were top of the table with one round remaining when the COVID outbreak in the region began and all play was stopped last month.
There had been hopes to resume play but ongoing cases and the extension of the initial lockdown for regional NSW resulted in the season being abandoned.
WPL competition administrator Peter Mitchell said no minor premiership would be awarded given Orange Waratahs were just two points off Spurs and could have potentially taken top spot in the final round should play have gone ahead.
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Manson stated he could understand the decision but said it's been a bitter spill to swallow, especially after seeing other major regional competitions name premiers and minor premiers despite also cancelling their finals.
"We've seen a few cases where the full premiership hasn't been given but the minor premiership has been given and that was based on who was on top of the ladder. I think it's the right decision," Manson said.
"I don't think giving the full premiership is right because anything can happen in finals but, at the end of the day, we were the team that finished top of the ladder.
"It doesn't go down in the books or history that we were top of the Premier League. It will just say the competition stopped at round 17."
AFL Central West and Group 11 rugby league awarded minor premierships despite no play going ahead in the final round of their competitions.
In Group 11's case, the teams in top spot in three of the four grades could have potentially fallen to second had they lost in the final round.
Manson claims he was initially told by competition organisers, not in any official format, his side was likely to be awarded the minor premiership should the season get cancelled when the season was first paused.
"That was clear in the way he said it and then they've had a little meeting and decided against it and it's heartbreaking," Manson said of the weeks since that.
"I didn't tell the players because I didn't want to get their hopes up and have it taken away, and that's what happened. I've got excited thinking we'd have something to show for our efforts."
Spurs hadn't lost a match in the league since round six and had taken top spot from Waratahs late in the season.
Manson was all too aware a side like Waratahs or third-placed Dubbo FC could have gone on and won the grand final and no-one was arguing that, but he wanted the 17 rounds that did get played to show for something.
They just wanted to know what they got for working their arses off and getting to the top of the ladder.
- Ben Manson on his players
"It could have changed in the last round but the way we were going, and the way things were looking statistically, I don't think we would have lost and we only needed a draw," the coach said.
"It's hard when the boys have worked so hard all year and have nothing to show for it."
There's been plenty of comment on social media in recent weeks, with a number of Spurs players and supporters complaining about the decision.
It shows the passion of the club, according to Manson, and he refuted any claim it was all about the prizemoney.
"None of the players asked about prizemoney," he said.
"They just wanted to know what they got for working their arses off and getting to the top of the ladder.
"That's not how it will end. When people look back they'll just think season 2021 was cancelled and it won't say Orana Spurs finished on top of the ladder, which is heartbreaking."
While adamant the decision made is a wrong one, Manson said he didn't want the matter to take away from what his side produced on the pitch this season and the quality across the wider league.
The WPL expanded to nine sides this season and considered a huge success by all involved given the style of football played.
"I don't want to speak down on anyone because everything up to the 17th round was unbelievable and they do deserve recognition for that," Manson said.
"The way the comp was run as excellent but I don't like the end result and how it's sat with my players. I've got to stick up for my team and not one is happy with the result.
"They just deserve the recognition, the applause, and everything. If I could give them advice it would be 'let it fuel you, let it give you a bit of hunger to go back next year and prove we deserve to be minor premiers'."
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