AS Nicole Schneider watched on from the sidelines a fortnight ago and saw Forbes celebrate an upset Ferguson Cup win over her Bathurst Bulldogs, it was a moment that hurt.
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That defeat came after Bulldogs had fallen to Orange Emus a week earlier, surrendering the competition lead their fierce rivals as a result.
While she freely admits that Emus "played out of their skins" to snatch first place and Forbes impressed as well, losing did not sit well with her. She's not the only Bulldog who felt that way either.
"I can't even remember the last time it happened, back-to-back losses, it is a big deal," Schneider said.
"Emus, honestly, you couldn't fault them. Surprisingly enough, they used our game plan against us and we didn't know how to react and deal with that.
"Then sitting on the sidelines and watching Forbes ... the way they celebrated at the end. After that I said to the girls 'I don't know what you girls feel, but I'm very, very determined to turn things around'."
Using the sting of those defeats is something which is now driving Schneider and her fellow Bulldogs as the finals of the Ferguson Cup loom.
They missed out on playing last weekend - winning over Dubbo Kangaroos via a forfeit - so will be keen to prove a point this Saturday when travelling to meet Orange City.
"It's been good for us, well it's not always good to have a loss, but coming into finals in a few weeks it's made us open our eyes, react and think about what we need to do to get better," she said.
"I don't know really how we'll go on the weekend to be honest after two losses and a forfeit [win] but I'm excited to get back out there."
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While Schneider admits Bulldogs have been 'rocked' by injuries during their campaign thus far, one player she is glad to see return to the field following knee surgery is the experienced Marita Shoulders.
The talented forward made her comeback against Forbes and shapes as a key figure as Bulldogs look towards the finals.
"It's been a bonus getting Marita back - her knowledge, her skill level," Schneider said.
"When she's on the field I always watch her and look up to her because she knows where you should be and what you should be doing."
Schneider has already had a big year. She was part of the first Central West women's side to tour New Zealand during the pre-season, played representative sevens and was a member of the Blue Bullettes outfit which claimed the Country Championships crown.
But the talented back line exponent has one more box she wants to tick in 2019. She wants to win another premiership title with Bulldogs.
"We want to get the three-peat, that's we want, the third one in a row," she said.
"It really would be amazing if we could do that. I think we can do it, 100 percent I think we can get there, we just need to pull together and works as a team."
The Bulldogs will take on Orange City at Pride Park from 12.45pm on Saturday.
