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Taane Milne at centre of divisive loophole at Rugby League World Cup

Taane Milne (pictured right) walking off and (pictured left) Penrith's Spencer Leniu after a high-tackle.
Taane Milne (pictured) will serve most of his suspension for a high-shot at the World Cup after his reckless high tackle on Penrith's Spencer Leniu (pictured left). (Getty Images)

Rabbitohs winger Taane Milne has had most of his six game NRL ban wiped out after he was allowed to be included in the Fiji squad for the World Cup and use the games towards his suspension.

Milne was handed the whopping punishment for his reckless high tackle on Penrith's Spencer Leniu in the Rabbitohs' preliminary-final loss last month.

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The incident was bad enough for Leniu to attempt to continue the beef on the sideline when Milne was sent off.

Milne's suspension was the longest handed down since Latrell Mitchell's ban at the end of 2021 for his high-shot on Joseph Manu.

However, the ban will now hardly impact Souths in 2023.

In a controversial move, NRL judiciary chairman Geoff Bellew has approved an application for Milne's first four games of the ban to be taken in Fiji's World Cup campaign.

This is on the the proviso he would be picked after he played for the nation during the mid-year Tests.

That allowance takes into account the Bati's warm-up game against England, as well as their group matches against Australia, Italy and Scotland.

Taane Milne (pictured middle) is sent off the field during the NRL Preliminary Final match.
Taane Milne (pictured middle) is sent off the field during the NRL Preliminary Final match. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

As things stand, Milne will be able to return in round three of next year for the Rabbitohs.

If Fiji progress out of the group stage, Souths can apply to have the World Cup finals matches also counted as part of Milne's ban.

In effect, it means that if the secondary application is approved and Fiji reach the semi-finals, Milne's entire ban could be served at the World Cup.

Many fans were left disappointed with the rule and claimed the punishment shouldn't carry over to a seperate competition.

NRL allow stars to serve bans at World Cup

Milne's allowance comes after the NRL previously approved Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Lindsay Collins and Jason Taumalolo to each serve bans in the World Cup.

Waerea-Hargraves will miss New Zealand's first two matches of the tournament after already sitting out their warm-up game, while Taumalolo faces a similar situation for Tonga.

Collins will miss Australia's opener against Fiji, after previously having the Prime Ministers' XIII game counted towards his ban from the NRL season.

That trio's allowances differed from Milne's in that they were each named in their nation's World Cup squads despite the suspensions.

In the case of Milne, his longer ban meant he was entirely overlooked by Fiji given he would only have been available for the final had the Bati qualified.

However, Bellew agreed with the Rabbitohs' argument that the 27-year-old would have been picked if not for the suspension.

with AAP

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