HULL KR's play-off hopes ended with a real whimper as the Robins crashed to a 32-14 home defeat to Catalan Dragons, who sealed their place in the play-offs.
Rovers needed to beat the French side and Bradford to defeat Widnes to keep their season alive going into their final game of the season at Wakefield this Sunday.
Leading 14-12 after 52 minutes, KR's season was still alive, but 20 unanswered points from the visitors put paid to their play-off hopes.
It was a disappointing way for Rovers' play-off hopes to end, but one of the positives came from young Macauley Hallett's try-scoring debut.
The youngster didn't look out of place mixing it with some of Super League's biggest players and a feared Dragons outfit.
Named man of the match by the sponsors, Hallett took his try very well and will have learned a lot from the experience.
He will no doubt get another chance next week at Wakefield, and coach Chris Chester will give others an opportunity to show they deserve to be in his plans for next season.
Sonny Esslemont was another who was handed his Super League debut and he coped well, despite losing the ball in one tackle, but it's all part of the learning curve ahead of him.
Chester has promised a culture change next season – which can't come soon enough for the coach.
As for Rovers, the chase for the play-offs is finally over. In truth, they were over when Hull FC beat them 28-0 at the KC Stadium last time out in a humiliating defeat.
Chester's attention has now turned to next season after Rovers missed out on the play-offs for the second time in three years. This is their eighth season in Super League, and they still only have one play-off win to show.
With nothing to play for now at the Wildcats next week, Chester will no doubt give other young talent at the club a chance in a meaningless fixture.
There was plenty of meaning in this game beforehand, and when Liam Salter opened the scoring, Rovers fans were forgiven for thinking they could close the gap between them and the Dragons to two points with one game to play.
Michael Oldfield's two converted tries swung momentum the Dragons' way as they led 12-6 after half an hour.
Oldfield exposed some woeful defence on Rovers' left-hand side as he was set up brilliantly by Ben Pomeroy and Elliott Whitehead, who were thorns in the Robins' edges all afternoon.
Hallett's debut try five minutes before half-time showed the youngster is capable of a bright career in Super League.
Rovers trailed by two points at the break, knowing they would have to do something they've not done this season – overturn a half-time deficit to win a Super League game.
It looked as though they might when Jason Chan rumbled his way over the line in the 48th minute, but Travis Burns' second missed conversion meant Rovers only led 14-12 with over half an hour to play.
Catalan have young scrum-half Sam Williams to thank for getting them back in the game, with a brilliant piece of opportunism to regain the lead.
While Rovers stood like statues, Williams quickly tapped a penalty and sprinted clear to score on 65 minutes. Thomas Bosc's conversion made it 18-14, and it meant Rovers needed to dig deep to stay in the game.
However, they couldn't find a way back in as the Dragons grew in confidence to close the game out and kill off KR's challenge.
With ten minutes to play, Rovers still had a chance of winning. One converted try and they would be back in front, but the Dragons stood firm.
Oldfield completed his hat-trick in the latter stages, before Williams added his second and Morgan Escare rounded off the scoring three minutes from time.
It was a sorry way for Rovers to end their home campaign.
In all honesty, they don't deserve to be in the play-offs and this defeat has probably done them a favour.
Rovers made the play-offs last season and suffered heavily at the hands of St Helens to end their interest at the first-round.
Catalan, who can finish seventh with a home win against Castleford Tigers next week, were there for the taking, but Rovers still lost by 18 points as they capitulated at the finish.
KR head into their biggest off-season since winning promotion to Super League. Their annual warm weather training camp to Tenerife has been cancelled in favour of an army camp in the hope that the players toughen up and win games they should win.
For many of the players who will still be here, it will be a wake-up call that Chester means business.
This season has simply not been good enough by anyone's standard.
The squad assembled was good enough to finish in the top-eight at least, but the character in too many games was severely lacking.
Chester will leave no stone unturned to make sure his side make the play-offs next season, otherwise they end the season playing Championship sides in the Super 8 qualifiers instead of playing for a place in the Grand Final at Old Trafford.
