Canberra Raiders' promising season ended abruptly, losing to Cronulla and exiting the finals early.
A long six months await the Canberra Raiders thinking about what could've been.
From the Miracle of Mudgee to a first NRL minor premiership in 35 years, Canberra's journey from rank outsiders to premiership favourites seemed to be written in the stars.
But Cronulla delivered coach Ricky Stuart's inexperienced side the cruellest of blows on Saturday night, sending the Raiders bowing out of the finals in straight sets, making them just the second team to do so since the eight-team format began in 1999 in the process.