Hunter Rugby Union: Lachy Milton's grand final suspension offside with coaches

And Munro has an ally in Maitland coach Luke Cunningham.

Milton received an automatic one-game suspension after picking up his third yellow card of the season in the Greens' 23-22 win over Maitland last Saturday. None of his cards have been for foul play.

"He is absolutely shattered," Munro said. "He was given a yellow card for offside. It was a repeated team infringement and he was on the wrong end of the warning.

"Our game is not in that good a shape where we can afford players like that to sit out and put on the best possible spectacle.

"I'm sure when Rugby Australia wrote the guidelines, that was not the intention. The intention was to stamp out foul play.

"It changes the shape of the competition. The offence is not serious enough to have that effect."

Hamilton fly-half Paul Dan missed the grand final last year in identical circumstances.

Maitland will be without captain Sam Callow for the preliminary final against Wanderers after he was issued a third yellow for the season in the major semi-final.

He was sinbinned for foul play. However, his first two cards were for repeated infringements.

"That is the silver lining for us by losing the major semi," Cunningham said. "If we win this week, it gives Sam an opportunity to play in a grand final. Lachy Milton doesn't get that.

"It has to change.

"In the by-laws up until 2020, if the cards were team infringements it didn't trigger a suspension in the final series. They changed it in 2021 to three accumulated.

"We have a couple of guys sitting on two yellow cards. Potentially there could be more players missing out on a grand final."

** Merewether breakaway Lachy Miller is certain to be fit for the decider despite being rushed to hospital after suffering a severe gash above his eye in the major semi.

"He will be fine," Merewether coach Tony Munro said. "He had three internal stitches and two on the outside. They couldn't stop the bleeding because it was so deep. It was like a fountain. He looked like Rocky Balboa at the pub on Saturday night. His eye was completely closed over. He is a tough unit and will be right."

** Merewether have lightened the load on skipper Sam Rouse by appointing Jason Milligan and Dylan Evans co-captains.

'We wanted to take some pressure of Rousey," Munro said. "Millo has the role of talking to the referees and Dylan is looking after the forwards. That frees Rousey up to give the backs instructions and direct play."

** Wanderers man mountain Quermy Warmerdam, who stands 195cm and weighs 120kg, is without doubt the biggest loose head prop in the competition. The Dutch international is now also the biggest lineout thrower.

"Throwing has been an issue all year for us," Wanderers coach Trevor Hefren said. "Quermy is a very confident young man. He fronted me at training and said you have to let me throw."

Wanderers lost four lineouts with the throw against University in the minor semi.

"When Dylan Heins is in the opposition lineout, you are on struggle street," Hefren said. "We are finally getting to a point where we are winning more than we lose."

Wanderers are not the only side with lineout problems.

University lost four with the throw, the Greens turned over three and Maitland five.

** Breakaway Will Archer was the unsung hero for Wanderers in the minor semi, earning four penalties at the breakdown.

** Wanderers captain Marcus Christensen was to face the judiciary on Wednesday night after being sent off for contact to the head of University fly-half Dane Sherratt at a ruck in the minor semi.