That winning streak had secured the Ryan Powell-coach outfit their maiden finals appearance since leaving the Illawarra and fourth position on the ladder.

This would originally pit the Tiger Lillies, skippered by Berry-Shoalhaven Heads product Josie Strong, against the fifth-placed St Marys in the elimination final.

But due to the COVID-19 enforced lockdown of Greater Sydney, NSWRL was forced to change the finals series from six to four teams - eliminating St Marys and Wests Tigers.

The opponent for Strong's side then changed to minor premiers Central Coast, with Mounties and Cronulla-Sutherland, featuring Albion Park-Oak Flats' Kaarla Cowan and Milton-Ulladulla's Lily Murdoch, facing off in the other semi-final.

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That all changed once again on Wednesday when the state government announced it would extend its lockdown until July 16, which therefore saw NSWRL make further changes to its major competitions.

Disappointing for Strong and her Helensburgh side, who also contained Milton-Ulladulla's Olivia Patterson, Keele Browne and Meg Buchanan, Stingrays' Riley Scott and Teagan Berry and Park's Brittany Constable, it meant their premiership dreams were dashed in the click of the fingers - with NSWRL deciding to just hold a grand final between Central Coast and Mounties, to allow all NRLW players ample time to prepare for the 2021 season.

"Not being able to compete for the title is devastating because it would have been a nice reward for all of the girls to give it a good hard crack and show the other teams we meant business," Strong said.

"Obviously we are all disappointed in the outcome but overall to finish fourth is a testament to all our hard work and commitment over the past few months

"Everyone in our team can walk away from the season with their heads held high."

Upon reflecting on their maiden season in the state's top women's competition, Strong acknowledges how far the Rex Jackson Oval-based club, which lost four of their first six games in 2021, has come.

"To finish fourth out of 11 teams is an absolute honour and I'm so proud of how far all of the girls have come for our first year in this semi-professional competition," the 26-year-old said.

"We come from all over the South Coast, so it's great to see that our commitment has paid off - as much as it is a shame that we don't get to test how far we could have gone."

As the former St George Illawarra Dragon alludes to, the impact this side has had up and down the coast has been immense.

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"Having the South Coast girls in the team has been a huge benefit, not only for Helensburgh but for the whole rugby league region," said Strong, whose side also features Bega's Kezie Apps.

"Hopefully more girls from the South Coast can see the different level of competition available to them and strive to be the best versions of themselves."

With the dust still settling on 2021, Strong admits her team is already focused on making amends next year.

"Being a brand new team and still finishing in the top four is a huge plus for us," she said.

"If we can keep the same team together, there's no reason why we can't shoot for the top spot.

"The Central Coast Roosters have been playing together for a few years now, so mirroring their success is definitely a goal of ours in the coming years."