Strengthening their side in the lead up to the finals may not have been the reason behind Souths registering Karmichael Hunt as a Magpies player, but that hasn’t stopped the club trying to get the exiled international dispensation for this weekend’s elimination semi-final against Easts. But, in what Souths will be hoping isn’t a prelude to the weekend’s result, the appeal was turned down by an independent panel appointed by the Queensland Rugby Union Board at the beginning of the season. The dual international fronted the panel, along with a handful of Souths representatives, to try to plead his case on Wednesday night, but ultimately the club was denied. The rules of the Premier Rugby competition state that a player must be registered six weeks out from finals to be eligible for the post-season; Hunt was only registered with four games remaining. Souths powerbrokers entered a request for dispensation for Hunt and recently registered international hooker, David Paic