Ex-girlfriend slams NSW Origin great over comment on disgraced NRL player

The former partner of black-listed NRL player Curtis Scott has slammed a former NSW Origin star over a comment about the exiled footballer.

Curtis Scott and Tay Clark. Photo: Damian Shaw NCA NewsWire and Instagram, @tayjclarkk.

Tay-Leiha Clark has spoken out against former NSW State of Origin star Trent Merrin over comments surrounding exiled NRL star Curtis Scott.

The Australian long-jump athlete on Friday responded with a public swipe at Merrin after the former Dragons prop went public with support for Scott on the same day reports emerged the NRL has quietly banned Scott from returning to the league.

The former Melbourne Storm and Canberra Raiders centre in July lost an attempt to have his conviction for assaulting and threatening his ex-partner Clark overturned.

A judge found his relationship with her was marked by “emotional abuse born out of jealousy”.

Scott was found guilty of convictions for assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault and stalk/intimidate with the intention of causing fear or physical harm.

He was last year handed a 12-month community corrections order.

According to widespread reports, Scott has been seeking a way to return to the NRL, but his informal requests to be registered with the league have been knocked back, as first reported by The Daily Telegraph.

Trent Merrin shared his comment on his Instagram stories. Photo: @trentmerrin.

Instagram images of Australian triple jumper Tay Clark.

Merrin, who is now a member of the Azure Partners player management agency, sparked Clark’s response after taking to Instagram to share his disappointment with the league’s reported decision regarding Scott.

“Imagine if the league protected their product,” he posted on his Instagram stories.

“Heads up @curtisscott44 we at @azure.partners care for the person, now we just keep going.”

In response, Clarke said she didn’t feel Scott had taken enough personal responsibility or accountability for his actions.

After 4 years, never once has there been any personal accountability taken. This is not an opportunity for redemption, it’s ignorance. It might be beneficial for Trent to consider this before publicly advocating for a man who has never even shown remorse towards his victim.

— Tay-Leiha Clark (@TayJClarkk) December 1, 2023

“This is not an opportunity for redemption, it’s ignorance. It might be beneficial for Trent to consider this before publicly advocating for (this) man,” Clarke wrote on X.

Curtis Scott of the Raiders. Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images.

Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court in July heard disturbing details about Scott’s actions towards his ex-partner with Judge Alister Abadee dismissing Scott’s appeal.

Earlier, magistrate Daniel Covington last year found Scott pushed Clark during an altercation at her parents’ home in the Sydney suburb of Sylvania, causing injuries to her head, forearm and wrist.

The court heard members of Ms Clark’s family gave evidence during a Local Court hearing last year, telling the court they heard a verbal argument and saw a mark on her arm.

Former partner and victim Tay-Leiha Clarke leaves the Downing Centre local court on Friday after Curtis Scott was found guilty. NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short.

Scott was also found guilty of verbally threatening Ms Clark during a phone conversation in which he threatened to kill both her and himself and drove his car into a tree.

The court heard that Scott was in Melbourne at the time when he rang threatening to kill himself and demanding she fly from Sydney.

The court heard that during the course of the conversation he said “I’m going to f***ing kill you c***” and called her a “slut” and a “whore”.

Scott had argued that he had only threatened to kill himself, however Judge Abadee noted that the conversation was overhead by Ms Clark’s mother and father who gave similar evidence.

Curtis Scott as he arrives at Downing Centre Courts. NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw.

Instagram images of Australian triple jumper Tay Clark.

Scott was sacked by the Raiders in 2021 for a separate off-field issue. He has been exiled from the league since his contract was torn up.

Scott reportedly pitched to rugby league bosses he had turned his life around, with a clause in any contract which stated he couldn’t drink alcohol on the cards.

“A lot of the mistakes I’ve made happened when I was under the influence of alcohol... I’ve cut it out of my life,” Scott previously said to News Corp.

Scott also said “I want to prove to myself that I’ve grown as a person”.

“I’ve made mistakes yes. But I’ve learnt from them. I want to help others.

“I am sorry. I regret all the incidents heavily. They play on my mind daily. I’m extremely sorry I’ve brought the game into disrepute.

“I have to wake up and look at myself in the mirror every day and sometimes it’s hard to see.”