AT this stage, the end to the season was always going to involve some kind of crushing disappointment.
Almost a year’s worth of hard work led up to this point stemming from the tough grind of pre-season, only for it to end so close to the ultimate goal. Naturally, it’s going to hurt.
For it to end like this, however, will only twist the knife for Warrington Wolves.
Level with Hull KR in almost every metric including tries scored in this typically tight and tense semi-final clash, but in the end a single successful goal kick proved the difference.
Josh Thewlis is a highly reliable goal-kicker – a success ratio of 76.5 per cent during the regular season tells you as much – and he would be hard on himself about the two he missed at Craven Park regardless of outcome, in particular the first one that he dragged wide of the near post from a pretty presentable angle.
Those wishing to point the finger of blame may well target him, but it would be unfair and unwise to do so.
Indeed, you can barely find anybody willing to do so in the aftermath, for Wire fans’ anger was aimed squarely in one direction.
We have been warned by Sam Burgess and others that, if the game was not careful, a defining contest would be heavily influenced – if not decided – by a referee’s decision or a controversial ruling.
The prophecy has indeed turned out to be true, although not in the way many perhaps expected.
We are, of course, talking about the try awarded to Hull KR’s Joe Burgess just before half time that took the hosts into what turned out to be an unassailable lead as he pushed towards the line from dummy-half.
It must be stressed at this point that referee Liam Moore is bound by the rules of the game. At that point, he had to give video referee Jack Smith an indication of his thinking.
The trouble is, that indication goes on to be so influential.
Only Moore himself will know what he saw as he strained to see whether or not the Robins man got the ball to ground or, as appeared more likely given the evidence available, the Wire defence did enough to stop him.
Given the number of close looks he had at the mass of bodies trying to see the ball, however, his decision to delegate to Smith with a live call of “try” seems somewhat baffling.
From that point, Smith’s hands are tied. Conclusive proof was needed to overturn and there was none either way – there was no presentable evidence that the ball touched the floor, but there was also none to say it didn’t – so the try had to stand.
The look on Burgess’ face – and his sheepish and somewhat childish reaction to the incident post-match – told you all you needed to know.
Rules are rules, but the rule is rubbish. Whether or not the live call remains as part of the video referee process has been a hot topic for a while and now it has played such a big part in a huge game, calls for its removal will only grow louder.
However, Wire cannot simply put their defeat down to that injustice or Thewlis’ off-night from the tee.
Having battled so well to stay in the game in a first half in which they were second-best before being hauled back into it by the superb Matty Ashton, they had ample opportunity to complete the job and win the game during a second half they largely dominated.
The hosts were teetering on the cliff edge and admirably dug their heels in, but did the visitors do enough to push them off?
Their attack – usually so sharp and clinical – was just shy of where it needed to be and in these games, that can prove fatal.
And even with the controversial Burgess try, Warrington have to look at themselves. As their head coach was keen to point out post-match, teams competing for honours should not be conceding barge-over tries from dummy-half.
Both tries they conceded had a strong whiff of preventability about them, with James Batchelor somehow able to burst free of two tackles to touch the ball down for the opener.
Those things among others will no doubt be picked apart when the dust settles but first, they have to allow the collective dejection to settle and dissipate.
When it does, they can look back on their 2024 campaign with nothing but pride. After some truly dark times in the past couple of years, this group of players have given the town a team they can be proud of again.
They have come so far in the past 12 months, which means so much to so many but right now, that notion will be clouded by heartbreak.
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