What’s The Buzz: Nathan Cleary and Tyrone May provided tickets to Qld border breachers

The NRL has revealed what role Nathan Cleary and Tyrone May played in the provision of tickets to a trio who illegally entered Queensland to watch the grand final.

Nathan Cleary (L) and Tyrone May (R) were not fined for providing grand final tickets to border breaching mates. Picture: Adam Head

The NRL has confirmed Penrith Panthers stars Nathan Cleary and Tyrone May were the ones who handed out free grand final tickets to friends who had illegally entered Queensland on false Covid-19 exemptions.

But no action was taken against the two players because they both convinced the integrity unit they were unaware their mates had unlawfully crossed the border 24 hours before the decider.

The Sunday Telegraph understands the integrity unit interviewed Cleary and May for three hours via a phone hook-up, before establishing they had no knowledge of the border breaches.

Their three friends were fined $4135 by Queensland police for entering Queensland on incorrect border passes in a vehicle at Coolangatta on the day before the game.

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Nathan Cleary (L) and Tyrone May (R) were not fined for providing grand final tickets to border breaching mates. Picture: Adam Head

The next day, they entered Suncorp Stadium and sat next to Penrith families and friends on tickets that had come from the playing group’s allocation that was provided by the NRL.

All this while more than 12,000 fans were turned away and given ticket refunds because of Covid-19.

The three men — aged 23, 24 and 25 — were seen embracing Cleary and May after full time.

They were then seen on social media partying with the players after the victory over the Rabbitohs.

The NRL last week fined Cleary and May over grand final celebration incidents that were unrelated to giving away the tickets.

Cleary was fined $7000 for the disrespect shown to the Provan-Summons premiership trophy, while May was fined $7500 for an inappropriate social media post.

May, who is off contract, will have his future at the Panthers determined at an upcoming meeting of the Panthers board.