Merewether Carlton have powered into the Hunter Rugby Premier 1 grand final, beating Wanderers 50-29 in Saturday's preliminary final at No.2 Sportsground.

The Greens will meet University of Newcastle in the decider next Saturday, September 5, at No.2 Sportsground, with kick-off at 3:40pm.

The win completes a rebound for Merewether after University beat them 29-15 in the qualifying final a week earlier, sending the students straight through to the grand final and forcing the Greens down the long road.

Wanderers had earned their preliminary final shot with a 22-20 elimination final win over Maitland, but could not match Merewether's firepower on Saturday.

The two grand finalists finished the regular season locked together on 12 wins and three losses from 15 rounds. Merewether won both early-season meetings, 38-17 at Townson Oval in round two and 33-14 at Bernie Curran Oval in round eight, before University edged a 38-33 thriller at Townson Oval in round 11. University's qualifying final victory makes it two straight wins over the Greens heading into the decider.

Merewether Carlton, the competition's most successful club with a record 21 club championships, are chasing their second Premier 1 title in three seasons after winning the 2024 premiership.

Grand final: University of Newcastle v Merewether Carlton, Saturday September 5, 3:40pm, No.2 Sportsground.