NRL preliminary final 2022: Taane Milne send-off, suspension and World Cup eligibility for Fiji

South Sydney’s Taane Milne has been handed a heavy penalty for his shocking send-off against Penrith - with a World Cup loophole set to alter the Rabbitohs’ 2023 planning.

The Rabbits contemplate another prelim final exit.

A Rugby League World Cup loophole could mean South Sydney’s Taane Milne will miss as little as two NRL matches next season after a shocking ‘reckless’ tackle on Penrith’s Spencer Leniu.

The Fijian winger Milne was whacked with a six-game ban for a head high shot on Leniu in Saturday night’s preliminary final loss to the Panthers after he was hit with a grade two reckless high tackle charge.

But Milne can shave up to four matches from the ban with Fiji scheduled to play a warm-up a match against England and then three pool games.

Taane Milne is given his marching orders for the ugly high shot. Picture: Getty

Earlier this month, Milne was named in the Fiji’s extended squad for next month’s Rugby League World Cup opening the door for the ban to be served at the international level.

Milne became the first player to be sent off in a finals match since North Sydney’s Gary Larson and Canberra’s John Lomax were dismissed in their side’s 1994 preliminary final.

Milne was sinbinned twice in week one of the finals in a chaotic clash against archrivals the Sydney Roosters.

A number of NRL clubs, and world cup nations, have already deployed the loophole to slash bans dished out by the match review committee for foul play.

Milne will be rubbed out of the World Cup as a result of the suspension. Picture: Getty

Sydney Roosters prop Lindsay Collins was allowed to use the Prime Minister’s XIII clash against Papua New Guinea as part of his four-game ban for a hip drop tackle in Round 24.

Teammate Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, who copped a three-match ban for a head slam on South Sydney’s Tom Burgess, will be free to play in New Zealand final pool match.

North Queensland bopper and Tongan skipper Jason Taumalolo is facing a three-game ban for dangerous contact on Parramatta’s Isaiah Papali’i in Friday night’s preliminary final.

But like Waerea-Hargreaves and Collins, he will serve that ban while at the World Cup.

BENNETT CURSE BANISHED BUT PRELIM HOODOO STILL HAUNTS SOUTHS

- Michael Carayannis

The Wayne Bennett curse is done and dusted but winning the competition from outside the top four remains an insurmountable task.

South Sydney’s premiership window was supposed to end last year. The exit of Bennett and high profile players including Adam Reynolds, Jaydn Su’A and Dane Gagai was meant to spell the end of South Sydney’s impressive run.

But under new coach Jason Demetriou and a focused Latrell Mitchell the Rabbitohs showed there is still more life left in this current group of Bunnies.

Still there would be a sense of frustration among the group.

The Rabbits contemplate another prelim final exit.

Their fifth consecutive preliminary final has netted just one grand final appearance and that was a loss to Penrith last year. Panthers were again their conquerors.

Their frustration would be compounded by racing to a 12-0 lead on Saturday night before conceding three tries in eight minutes either side of halftime.

This after the Panthers were denied – rightly – three tries by the bunker in the opening half.

When they found themselves on the back foot they could not recover despite easily being the better side in the opening half.

Campbell-Graham’s fumble in the final play of the first half landed in the arms of Brian To’o who was able to race 80 metres to score and somehow have Penrith level at the break.

Penrith might have been a bit fluky in the first half but there was nothing but class in the second where South Sydney could not shift the momentum back in their way.

Taane Milne is sent to the sin bin during he Rabbitohs’ loss to Penrith. Picture: Getty Images

The Panthers just crossed four minutes into the second half. The game was all but over when Penrith led 24-12 with 25 minutes left in the game.

By the time Taane Milne was sent from the field for a high tackle on Spencer Leniu the match was over.

All is not lost though for the Rabbitohs.

Unlike last season when they underwent a massive turnover of players – the Rabbitohs have a far more settled unit heading into next season.

They do so with hopefully being able to get a full season from Mitchell while halfback Lachlan Ilias will go from strength to strength after showing he can fill the role Reynolds vacated.

They lose reliable Mark Nicholls (Dolphins) while Kodi Nikorima (Dolphins) was always a transitional signing.

The question marks will hang over the long-term futures of Mitchell, Cody Walker, Damien Cook and Tom Burgess.

The quartet are free agents come November 1.

Demetriou has shown his hand in backing the club’s youthful players and keeping a sense of calm despite their slow start to the season.

Another preliminary finals appearance is to be celebrated and unlike those who have followed in Bennett’s lofty footprints, Demetriou has shown he is more than capable of guiding this club back to the top.

Originally published as NRL preliminary final 2022: Taane Milne send-off, suspension and World Cup eligibility for Fiji