Southern Inland Rugby Union
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TUMUT will be without Ignus Ferreira for the first division grand final after the Bulls centre was suspended by the Southern Inland judiciary this morning.
Ferreira will have to sit on the sidelines as the Bulls take on Wagga City in the club's first grand final in eight years on Saturday.
Ferreira and Temora's Rafa Niumataiwalu and Mosese Niumataiwalu were all handed two-game suspensions for striking.
The Temora pair will miss the first two games of next season, but Ferreira has a larger price to pay for the incident in the dying stages of the preliminary final.
As neither Tumut or Temora elected to defend the charges at the scheduled judiciary on Tuesday night, the panel delivered its verdict this morning.
The Bulls won't take the matter any further and coach Tim Graham had already started to plan grand final day with Ferreria's services.
Mike King will come up from second grade to fill the void.
"It's not ideal, but I kind of expected it after the incident," Graham said.
"We had a good turn out at training (on Tuesday), and a positive mood."
Tumut hasn't faced the Boiled Lollies since June, when they won 17-5 at home and Graham is expecting a tougher challenge on Saturday.
Graham has made one more change from the team that defeated Temora on Saturday, bringing himself off the bench replacing Jock Mason.
The Bulls have English playmaker James Curgenven and number eight Rambo Lagaali in their sights.
Recognising the pair's importance in the team, Graham is looking for his team to limit the impact they have on the game.
"Their play revolves around their number ten Curgenven so nullifying his impact on the game will help us out," Graham said.
"We'll be keeping an eye on Rambo Lagaali as he's been good all year.
"Those two guys are probably the key to nullify and then look after our own end."
Graham is looking for a bigger game from his forward pack than in previous weeks and is looking for the defensive aspect of the game to step up to the mark.