Wests Tigers captain Kezie Apps marked her 50th NRLW appearance as the club reached its first finals series in its fourth season.
Canberra ended that breakthrough campaign with a 6-0 victory at Campbelltown Sports Stadium on Friday night.
Despite the defeat, players and staff left the field proud after transforming the Tigers from consecutive wooden-spoon finishers into a top-six team.
Apps said, "When you take a step back on how far we've come as a team and as a club, it's pretty remarkable,''
She added, "Wooden spooners the last two years…to now fourth."
Coach Craig Sandercock, Head of High Performance Richmond Saliba and Head of Women's Football Charmaine Steventon led the rebuild.
Experienced recruits including Raecene McGregor, Holli Wheeler and Shaylee Bent helped Apps and Sarah Togatuki guide emerging players.
Wheeler said, "We have laid the foundation of a really strong platform here at Wests Tigers now and we will continue to build on that,''
Six players from the inaugural 2023 squad, including Apps, featured in the historic finals match.
Young centre Portia Bourke said, "If we can achieve that in six months, imagine adding another six months on top of that."
Fullback Caitlin Turnbull said the team's bond had grown, while the 2026 campaign's "Hear Us Roar" slogan captured its emergence.