Sunday's trip to Mackay to face the Cutters ended in the cruellest of fashions, a last-second field goal snatching victory from the Magpies' grasp in the dying breath of the game.
The Cutters drew first blood through Jimmy Ngutlik in the 8th minute, but the Magpies fired back immediately. Callum Eggerling broke the line in the 15th to level, before Phranklyn Mano-Le-Mamea crossed in the 23rd to have the Magpies ahead 8-6. It was back-and-forth, physical footy.
The Cutters hit back twice in the 27th and 31st minutes to regain the lead, and with Anthony Milford heading to the sin bin just before the break, the Magpies trudged to the sheds trailing 8-16 and a man down.
Mason Barber crossed twice early in the second half to extend the lead to 8-26, and the situation looked dire. But this Magpies side doesn't know when to quit.
Jack Anderson crossed in the 67th minute, Mitchell Owen added another in the 72nd, and Pride Petterson-Robati crossed in the 78th, Byron Johnson converting to level the scores at 26-26. An against-the-odds win felt inevitable.
Then came the gut punch. With 79 minutes and 53 seconds on the clock, Raydan Burns stepped back and slotted a field goal.
27-26 to the Cutters. Full time.
After clawing back 18 points to level the scores, denied by a field goal with seven seconds remaining. It doesn't get more heartbreaking than that.