For the second week in a row, Pirates have been toppled by a team above them on the ladder.
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But if you thought there was a pall in Pirates' dressing room following Saturday's 38-31 away loss to Walcha, the Tamworth side's No.9, Jackson Sharpe, is here to correct you.
Sharpe said that while the players were obviously disappointed to lose (Moree beat then 31-26 in the previous round), positivity had trumped negativity post-match.
In fact, Sharpe believes that it was "probably" the three-time reigning premiers' best match of a season - against the team they beat in last year's grand final.
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It was the first time this season that Pirates had played 80 minutes, he said.
"I thought we went really good," he added.
"We did a lot of good things. We stuck to our structure ... We've just got to build on that and take it into the finals."
Pirates scored five tries to four, with Simon Newton's four penalty goals for Walcha the difference.