If you had offered the Sydney Roosters a preliminary finals exit at the start of the season, coach Trent Robinson admits it would have been "pretty enticing".
It's hard to blame him, after the Roosters moved 13 spots up the ladder to go from second-last to second in just one year.
"But now ..." Robinson pondered after Saturday night's season-ending 29-16 preliminary final loss to North Queensland.
"You're sitting at the third week of the finals and you're bitterly disappointed ... It's devastating."
Eventually, out of one of the most sombre dressing rooms of the season, the Roosters will see a light.
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But that could still be a while away if their mood on Saturday night is anything to go by.
"It was a really good year, it was a great year," Robinson said.
"It was an enjoyable year, and we developed some players from last year.
"But we get ourselves into a position and it's heartbreaking."
In the end, the Roosters only had themselves to blame.
Their 65 per cent completion rate on Saturday was systematic of the fact they're ranked 15th in the NRL for that category, while they twice put kick-offs out on the full against the Cowboys.
Twice they fumbled the ball and failed to get to the end of their set immediately after tries. The last was the most costly as it gave away a two-point lead in the 65th minute that they'd never regain.
Ultimately, it means that after finishing in the top two for four of the past five years, the Roosters still only have one premiership to show for it.
"It's obviously disappointing at the moment," captain Jake Friend said.
"We couldn't build the pressure there when we got in front. An error into a bad defensive set.
"Now it's hard to take much out of the season, but there is plenty of good stuff there we can use and build on. But at this point it's pretty heartbreaking."
Injuries aside, the Roosters will almost certainly be a force again in 2018.
They lose Aidan Guerra and up-and-comer Connor Watson to Newcastle, but pick up NSW Origin attacking ace James Tedesco.
Current No.1 Michael Gordon will strengthen them with some consistency on the wing, while Mitchell Pearce and Luke Keary will be better for playing a year together in the halves.
Not that any of that serves as any comfort right now.
"We bombed a lot of chances," Gordon said.
"We put ourselves in a position to win it and they showed us how to play that game. They completed away, tackled well and we didn't."
