Temora have haunted Wagga City for a third and final time this season on Saturday.
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The Tuskers surprised the Southern Inland competition when they were able to defeat the Boiled Lollies before the competition split but proved it was not fluke following a 34-30 win at Cranfield Park.
The first loss signalled the beginning of the end of the Boiled Lollies’ top six hopes and the third ends coach Mick Small’s time in charge.
Small was looking to go out with a second tier premiership but his team can only watch on on grand final day.
“The guys tried the hearts out but it’s the story of the year and we coped more injuries, which is just bloody crazy,” Small said.
“It was just one of those days for us unfortunately, it’s been one of those seasons.”
Forwards Grant Robben and Nathan Seymour were both injured in the last while playmaker Seth Stotlenberg had to make a surprise return after Jono Lally injured himself at training on Thursday.
Lally injured his ankle in Wagga City’s last training run before the game.
After almost two decades with club, Small is looking to give more time to his family and work commitments.
Instead he was left to look at what could of been.
“If we could have kept the side on the paddock that we started the year with we would have had a really, really good season and who knows where we would have ended up with, that’s the unknown,” he said.
“We used 39 players …. and only had the same team on the paddock two weeks in a row twice in the season.
“The good thing is there is a lot of players who got a taste of first grade this year and these guys are the future of the club.”