The Kia Toa Tigers were unable to overcome a strong He Tauaa side when they travelled down to Sandy Point in Invercargill on Saturday, eventually losing 58-26 in the Otago Southland grand final.
The Tigers travelled south on a strong side, buoyed by their 52-20 demolition of the East Coast Eagles in the Otago Premier Rugby League final just weeks ago.
However, they were up against Southland's dominant rugby league club, He Tauaa, which had lost only one game this season and had won the past five competitions in a row.
The Tigers took control of the contest through a couple of tries inside the first 10 minutes, shooting out to a 12-0 lead.
The lead was lost just as quickly, however.
He Tauaa has shown in recent years that it knows how to wrestle momentum back in its favour, and with some skilful direction in attack from its halves pairing of Javaan Fa'amoe-Ioane and Sam Pokere, it was able to run in the next five tries before the Tigers crossed its try line again.
Entering the second half with plenty of work to do, the Tigers showed the fight they are renowned for, making countless defensive efforts to keep He Tauaa at bay before launching some effective counterattacks.
Vila Apuula directed play well for the Tigers, and matched He Tauaa for intensity all game. His efforts sparked some fight from his teammates.
Tayla Hazlett played in a similar vein, maintaining 100% intensity throughout the match and controlling play in the middle of the field.
However, the Invercargill side could be contained for only so long.
Its dominant ball runners stepped up and scored a further three tries in the second half to extend its lead and earn the spoils in the hotly-contested encounter.
The revival of interprovincial club contests this season has been a welcome addition to both the Southland and Otago rugby league competitions, and it is fair to say Southland has come out on top at season's end.
The Tigers will take plenty out of a successful season, despite this loss.
They have uncovered some new talent, including Josiah Mani who scored another two tries in this match, after scoring three in the grand final. They have also retained a good senior core in their squad, and have had plenty of players selected for representative duties with the Otago Whalers.
The South Island Premier Rugby League Competition will begin on August 12, when Otago takes on Southland in Dunedin.
