The Bombers were kept to one goal (and kicked 10 behinds) in the 32-point loss to North Wagga but it wasn't simply a failure to take their opportunities.

Lenon said the Saints deserved credit as the better team on the day, after they produced a reversal of their last encounter (when Marrar kept them to one goal and won by 34 points).

"We had a pretty ordinary day, it wasn't a great performance by our fellas that's for sure," coach Shane Lenon said.

"Full credit to North Wagga, they were too good on the day and they're in the grand final, we're not.

"We made mistakes. We had some good players who couldn't sort of get into the game and it was just hard work the whole time. We couldn't get a run-on and couldn't click into gear.

"Even at the start of the last quarter, we had four or five opportunities. But we didn't play well enough at any stage to give ourselves a chance."

Marrar led a low-scoring affair by a point for five minutes in the first quarter and again early in the second, but trailed otherwise.

It was only a 15-point margin at half-time but when Josh Campbell put it beyond four goals by the last break - and they'd only kicked one in three quarters - it was going to take something out of the ordinary. And this day was too ordinary for that.

Losing Cal Gardner to injury at the end of the third quarter only confirmed that.

It's the first time under Lenon that Marrar haven't made it to the last Saturday of the season. The coach won't get the chance at taking the club to three straight premierships for the first time in its history but he was adamant about taking a broader view.

"I'd rather look at the positives," Lenon said.

"It's always disappointing to get knocked out before the big dance but take today out of the equation and it's been a pretty amazing three years, really. The club's had a real good run of success, we've won some silverware, we've won every home game for three years and our two 17s sides (football and netball) are playing grand finals next Saturday.

"It's not just about first grade. Don't get me wrong, it's a disappointing way to finish but you've got to look at the big picture and we've developed a lot of young blokes... there's certainly positives with the season even though we got beaten today."

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