Maguire unconcerned by Luke lift

South Sydney coach Michael Maguire says he fully expects Issac Luke to be cleared by the NRL match review committee when they look at his lifting tackle.

South Sydney coach Michael Maguire claims he's not concerned about the possibility of Issac Luke missing the club's first grand final in 43 years after he was placed on report for a lifting tackle.

Luke was outstanding in the Rabbitohs' 32-22 win over reigning premiers the Sydney Roosters on Friday, but his place in the decider could be at the mercy of the NRL match review committee.

The hard-hitting Kiwi hooker has 55 carry-over points for previous indiscretions and the panel will now look closely at his throw on Sonny Bill Williams midway through the second half.

Williams hit the ground with his elbow first after being up ended by Luke, who had his hands between the legs of his former international teammate.

Maguire insists there was nothing untowards about the incident and fully expects Luke to take his place in next weekend's grand final with Penrith or Canterbury.

"I don't normally make comment about (issues on report) but I didn't think there was much in it at all," Maguire said.

Losing Luke would serve as a major blow to the rampant Rabbitohs who surged past the Roosters thanks to the dominance of their go-forward.

Luke's work out of dummy-half is instrumental to the Rabbitohs' big men taking advantage in the middle.

If Luke were to be suspended, rookie Apisai Koroisau would most likely slot into the No.9 jersey.

Koroisau, bound for Penrith at the end of the season, played 13 matches at the start of year, when Luke was out injured.

He impressed with his strong defence and smart running, but Kiwi international Luke is a hard man to replace.

Manly forward Anthony Watmough copped a one-week suspension at week one of the finals for a dangerous throw with hands between the legs of Souths' Greg Inglis.


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