Captain Simon Badger leaving Victoria Park after another wicket during Wanganui's disappointing season.
Increased focus on senior cricket development and firmer commitment from the representative playing group would go a long way to pulling Treadwell Gordon Wanganui out of the quagmire, says coach Warren Marr.
Hopes were high for Wanganui this season after last summer's competitive results, with reports of the dressing room having an upbeat energy.
But all that had dissipated by the end of this campaign after three outright losses and two first innings points defeats, finishing with a vastly understrength side losing by an innings to Wairarapa in Masterton on Sunday – after over half the regular squad was either injured or declared themselves unavailable.
"My hopes might have been too high with the team we had to select," Marr said.
"We got what we deserved and Wairarapa, all credit to them, they played well."
Marr, who has travelled a lot of kilometres between his primary role as Wanganui Collegiate's head cricket coach while also looking after the representative team, said the die was cast by the "dismal" batting on Saturday.
Wanganui were fighting to save the game after less than three hours when they were bowled out for 109 by little more than a "club level attack" on a flat batting strip.
"Guys not just prepared to graft," Marr said.
Far too many times this campaign, in which dryer weather saw spin and slow bowling come back into vogue, Wanganui batsmen did not convert their starts in the teens and early 20's into an innings-anchoring score, throwing their wickets away with rash shot selection.
"That's purely an individual thing, guys just don't keep to the gameplan," said Marr.
"They have to know it's better [deliveries] than that they play at club cricket on a Saturday.
"They can't focus on those long periods of time."
Marr said he was really concerned that he had to use 23 players in the Wanganui lineup this campaign, because while injuries will happen, it is better to stick to no more than 15 for team continuity and so guys can maintain form.
"There's not 23 players [in Whanganui] that can really play at that level."
Opting to attend weddings and birthdays, holiday trips and family commitments has taken a significant toll, and Marr said based on the current abilities of the next-tier of club player, he was "really concerned" for when the likes of senior cricketers such as Mark Fraser, Simon Badger, Dominic Rayner and Craig Clare leave the game.
"When we lose these older guys, I really can't see what's coming through.
"We're only asking for five weekends a season with Furlong Cup – we need a buy-in to that.
"That will be a discussion with the Cricket Wanganui board. I've got some ideas.
"It's increasing the standard of club cricket. We need to get more development from the schools, instead of just one school."
The new bonus points system for this Furlong Cup paid dividends for Taranaki, who despite losing to Hawke's Bay earlier in the season, still finished five points ahead of them after their innings thrashing of Horowhenua-Kapiti at the weekend.
A comeback with the bat took Manawatu to an upset 1st innings points win over Hawke's Bay to spoil the home side's party at Nelson Park.
Scoreboard
Wanganui 1st Innings
M Boswell ct J McKenzie b B Price 6
C Stewart b P Sigvertsen 16
G Smith ct G Reisima b P Sigvertsen 23
C Clare b E Childs 1
N Harding ct G Reisima b E Childs 13
M Simes b P Sigvertsen 8
R Kinnerley ct B Price b P Sigvertsen 0
J McIlraith lbw b P Sigvertsen 1
T Walshe not out 16
B Kelt lbw b P Sigvertsen 10
F Kinnerley b E Childs 6
Extras: 9
Total 109 (37.2 overs).
Bowling: S Hook 11 overs, 4 maidens, 14 runs, 0 wickets; B Price 4-1-14-1; J Watt 3-0-11-0; E Childs 7.2-0-29-3; P Sigvertsen 9-1-28-6; G Reisima 2-1-6-0; R Speers 1-1-0-0.
Wairarapa 1st Innings
M Childs ct F Kinnerly b C Stewart 48
J McKenzie ct J McIlraith b B Galpin 25
L Burling ct M Simes b B Galpin 120
B Price ct B Kelt b F Kinnerley 57
G Reisima ct G Smith b C Stewart 3
R Speers ct M Simes b F Kinnerley 1
G Deans ct C Clare b N Harding 61
J Forrester ct M Simes b F Kinnerley 0
E Childs not out 0
Extras: 19
Total: 334-8 dec (81.3 overs).
Bowling: N Harding 18-2-75-1; F Kinnerley 20.3-3-74-3; C Stewart 17-1-54-2; B Kelt 15-0-75-0; B Galpin 11-2-44-2.
Wanganui 2nd Innings
M Boswell b P Sigvertsen 9
G Smith ct J McKenzie b B Price 58
C Stewart lbw b S Hook 2
T Walshe b L Burling 14
C Clare ct L Burling b E Childs 17
M Simes ct J Forrester b L Burling 24
R Kinnerley ct G Reisima b E Childs 29
J McIlraith ct B Price b G Deans 9
N Harding lbw b G Reisima 0
B Kelt b E Childs 28
F Kinnerley not out 4
Extras: 23
Total 217 (72.3 overs).
Bowling: S Hook 19-6-45-1; J Watt 5-1-22-0; G Reisima 9-3-13-1; E Childs 11.3-4-33-3; P Sigvertsen 9-4-24-1; B Price 7-3-28-1; G Deans 8-2-21-1; L Burling 4-0-17-2.
Result: Wairarapa won by an innings and eight runs.
Furlong Cup final points
Taranaki 56, Hawke's Bay 51, Manawatu 47, Wairarapa 40, Horowhenua-Kapiti 31, Wanganui 30.