The Tenterfield Tigers teams have officially finished their season with the league tag team bowing out in Saturday's minor semi-final against the Walcha Jillaroos.
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Down 18-6 at half-time, a barrage of penalties awarded to the Tigers girls saw them claw back into the contest.
Although they scored more tries than their opponents, goal kicking proved the difference with the Jillaroos eventually winning 24-22.
Despite finishing up for the season, Tigers president Brendan Minns was proud of the young squad's achievements throughout the year.
"I think the girls have had a great season, they have gone a step better than they did last year and made the finals," he said.
"Probably a bit disappointing to be knocked out the first round of the semi-finals but they have proved to themselves with the amount of numbers they have had during the season that they can match it with the best sides of the competition."
Minns believes the young Tigers squad has the potential to push for a premiership in the future.
"For them I suppose it was still a positive season and if we can gain a few more numbers for next year, if they can build and improve on this year's performance it will set them up for next year and for years to come," he said.
"There is a fair portion of the younger girls coming through that you look forward to a couple of years' time, the younger girls are the future of the club.
"There are some really exciting young footballers that will go on to bigger and better things."
Megg Landers took on the captain-coach role this year and Minns praised her efforts throughout the season.
"Especially for Megg in her first year of coaching to be able to get that far and take the group of girls that she had to get to where they got to," he said.
"For a young coach, she is still a very experienced player and I think she led the team quite well.
"It would be great to see her stay on again and it would be great to see her stay on again because she has done a great job so far."
In the men's, there was plenty of promise after they secured a win in round one but then the side slumped to 11-straight losses.
They finished with huge wins over Uralla and then the previously undefeated minor premiers Warialda.
"Definitely a season of what could have been," Minns said.
"A lot of what ifs, especially the way the men finished the season."
Although the year didn't go the way they had hoped, finishing with the wooden spoon Minns remains positive about the future after a number of young players made their mark.
"A big positive is to see the young guys coming through," he said.
"Fraser Saccon, Corey Harding and Geoffrey Swan junior, they are the future for the club and in 10 years time if they stay in town, to get those fellas coming through and playing quality football, which they did, to keep them playing and keep them on the field is a massive bonus for this year and then you set youself up for years to come."
Minns thanked coaches Jake Kelly and Geoff Swan for their effort.
"It was very tough to keep a positive attitude throughout the year with the amount of numbers we had at training and the results we were getting," he said.
As for who he thinks will win the competition, Minns can't go past the side who Tenterfield beat in their last start.
"Without writing Ashford off, I think it will be Warialda and Bundarra in a grand final but I think Warialda will be a bit too hard to beat," he said.
"A fair few of their players were there last year and got beat and will want to go one better.
"It would not surprise me if Bundarra or Ashford knocked them off."