IT was another frustrating 80 minutes for Reef Raiders supporters who had to endure another loss in a season many will want to forget. This time it was the Cairns Wanderers who edged home 28-24 after leading 21-7 at halftime in this rugby union encounter.

Yet, these same fans, who braved a cold and windy afternoon at the Port Douglas sports complex, must be questioning whether the Raiders know how to win.

Consider this fact: after conceding three tries in the first half, they bounced back in the latter period outscoring the Wanderers 3-1. This statistic is significant as it clearly shows who dominated the latter half. However, on the other side of the ledger, the Raiders conceded no fewer than 16 penalties.

They now face the demoralising fact of not winning a match this season.

So what does the future hold? This is a club that rarely, if ever, has enough players at their training sessions to do anything constructive. This is a transient town, players come and go. Work commitments take precedence and there are late withdrawals on game day.

Some players arrive minutes before kick-off; others stand to the side at the half-time huddle oblivious to what is being discussed. This is a team lacking in strong leadership. This mentality invites frustration, cynicism and little hope for a 100 per cent team effort.

There are no ready-made solutions. Perhaps there’ll be an influx of expats in 2017, and assist in a revival. There’s no harm in dreaming.

Yes, it’s easy to knock a team when it’s down. It’s as easy to overlook the positives when a side continues to lose. This column has tried over the past few weeks to motivate the club, but the time has come to face reality and workable strategies need to be found to improve what has been a dismal season.

For the record, Jack Murday (2), Rory McHugh, James Kelleher scored tries for the Raiders, two of which were converted.