It is a telling admission from Stags coach Dale MacLeod.
His side will finish last in the Odds Pool regardless of the outcome of its final NPC round-robin game against North Harbour in Invercargill on Saturday.
Southland looked very capable early. The Stags played some attractive rugby but suffered close loses to Tasman (27-20), Auckland (24-23) and Otago (37-32).
Had they picked up a couple of wins during that period, anything was possible.
But a run of injuries really tested the squad’s depth, and the campaign unravelled during a tortuous storm week in the North Island.
The Stags’ crushing 69-24 defeat to Hawke’s Bay in a Ranfurly Shield challenge was followed by a 54-24 loss to Waikato and a 54-21 defeat by Bay of Plenty.
There was an earlier 32-19 loss to Northland as well.
The Stags’ gutsy defence fractured. The team was, as MacLeod put it, "out of gas".
"We had great intentions of having a different XV play the middle game, which is what other teams have been able to do, but by the time we went to go on tour, we did not have them," MacLeod said.
"We had 25 boys play those three games.
"Our boys were running on empty."
And there lies the rub.
The bigger unions, those that house a Super Rugby club, can call on so many more players.
They can rest and rotate and stay fresh, while the likes of Southland empty the well.
"There was no cavalry coming.
"We were playing teams which could rotate Super Rugby players in and out. It was a pretty tough trip for us."
Southand had to squeeze every last drop of energy from its players, including old warriors like fullback Robbie Robinson and lock Josh Bekhuis.
It is one of the reasons MacLeod is not a fan of the NPC format.
It is not an even playing field in his view, and it could do with some tweaking so the smaller unions have something to play for at the end of the season.
He favours the Heartland format, where all the teams begin in one group but split into a top and bottom section for the playoffs.
"Don’t get me wrong — it has been a great competition. But six of the teams will finish their season as losers, and they will all be provincial teams without a Super side, whereas I believe they need to finish their season [on a high].
"You talk about the game dying away and then they create stuff which cuts out half the sides.
"They can’t neglect the provinces otherwise you’ll end up with the Waikatos, the Aucklands, the Canterburys, the Otagos and the Wellingtons that will prosper.
"New Zealand Rugby has got to be looking at it really seriously. Are they trying to have a sustainable competition that is provincial, or are they trying to have a Super Rugby-type competition where they have the haves and the have-nots?"
It is not all doom and gloom in the regional centres, though.
The Stags rebounded from storm week with a 30-26 win over Counties-Manukau.
That showed ticker. And the upside of all their injury woes is the team has built some depth for next season.
New Zealand and Highlanders under-20 flanker Hayden Michaels got to continue his development.
"He is just getting stronger and stronger and better each week. And he is just a great kid. Great attitude, great mindset, works hard and there is no secret why he is going really well.
"He has the ability to go as far as he wants, really."
Winger Michael Manson has some work ahead to develop his physical presence.
"His super power is his speed. If he can get the ball in space, he is electric."
But what Southland really needs to compete with the stronger sides is "four or five players in key positions".
At the top of the wish list is another tighthead prop, a couple of big ball-carrying loose forwards and a lock.
MacLeod is unlikely to be around to implement that plan, though. His contract with the Stags expires at the end of the season.
He might be open to a return, but that depends on his other commitments and whether Southland wants him back.
He will rejoin Moana Pasifika, where he is an assistant coach, for the 2023 season and is negotiating an extension for 2024.
He is also part of the Tongan national side’s coaching staff.
