Taane Milne's Fiji World Cup hopes are over and South Sydney must apply for an exemption to avoid him missing the first quarter of next NRL season over his high blow to Spencer Leniu's head.
The NRL came down hard on Milne on Sunday, handing him a grade-two reckless high tackle charge after he became the first man sent off in a finals match in almost 30 years.
The Rabbitohs winger faces a ban of at least six matches, or seven if he contests it and fails.
It's the aftermath to Souths' 32-12 preliminary final loss to Penrith, with Milne's high shot infuriating Leniu who wanted to continue with the stoush as he walked off for a HIA.
The charge is the heaviest handed down for a high tackle since Latrell Mitchell's last season, and the first time a shot has been deemed reckless this year.
Milne's ban is not helped by the fact it is his third charge this year, previously sin-binned twice in the opening week of the finals.
Milne was earlier this month named in Fiji's 33-man squad for the World Cup, and while his chances of playing in that are now gone it could still figure into his ban.
If Souths are able to successfully make a case to NRL judiciary chairman Geoff Bellew that he would have been selected in Fiji's final 24-man squad, four of the games can be served in the World Cup and warm-up matches.
Otherwise, Milne will miss at least the first six rounds of next season for Souths and leave them with another gap in their backline.
"He's disappointed, he apologising for being sent from the field," said coach Jason Demetriou post-game.
"I could see what he was trying to do in terms of knocking the ball down.
"But he has made contact with the head and it's probably an area he needs to work on."
Milne's application to the judiciary will come in the same form of the likes of Jared Waerea-Hargreaves' bid to include New Zealand games and Jason Taumalolo Tonga matches in their bans.
However his differs in that pair will still be named in their respective squads, and will be free to return during the tournament after seeing out their NRL suspensions.
Milne in comparison will not be picked at all by Fiji, and will need to rely on Souths pointing to the fact he played in June's Pacific Test as evidence his World Cup absence should be counted.
Meanwhile Viliame Kikau, Jarome Luai and Charlie Staines all avoided bans for the Panthers, allowing them to continue planning for the grand final.
