It was a disappointed interim coach and departing captain at Saturday's post match press conference following the Newcastle Knights' Round 26 loss to the Penrith Panthers at Pepper Stadium.
Danny Buderus singled out the number of penalties the red and blues gave way as a key factor in the defeat, as the team slumped into old habits.
"14 penalties... you can't get any possession and you can't compete like that," Buderus said.
"You revert back to old habits when you're in pressure situations, and that's what happened to us."
While the team has been in fair form over the last month, the side that ran out at Pepper Stadium seemed unable to rise to the occasion.
"They just couldn't bounce up today, there was a lot there to play for, but in my eyes Kurt's (Gidley) always going to be a winner," Buderus said.
"But it's extremely disappointing to end like that in my point of view.
"It makes you hurt, and it makes you hungrier for pre-season training.
"I've been on the end of that as a player, and that's what it did for me."
With the 2105 season now concluded, Buderus is already thinking ahead to next year.
"There's a big job at hand and everybody's got to help from top to bottom in the organisation," he explained.
"I want to help the Club get out of this scenario that it's in... there's only one way up now and that's probably a good thing."
Meanwhile, Kurt Gidley told the media congregated that while his final game for the Club didn't go to plan, he will still look over his whole career with a great deal of pride.
"I'd prefer to look back over my whole career rather than this game to be honest," he said.
"It's not the way I was hoping it would finish, but I'm really proud of what I've achieved over my career."
