Penrith Panthers Taylan May charged with assault over alleged grand final celebration incident

Penrith are resisting calls to stand down Taylan May after the young star was charged with assault by police. Here's what happened on the wild night in Queensland.

Premiers Penrith have been rocked by another off-field drama with young gun Taylan May charged with assault by Queensland police.

News Corp can reveal May - the younger brother of controversial former Panthers utility Tyrone - will face court in May after being charged with allegedly assaulting a member of the public following Penrith’s grand-final win last October.

The incident occurred in a nightclub precinct of Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast, the region in which Penrith were staying during the NRL’s three Covid bubbles which kept the NRL premiership going last season.

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It is understood Queensland police charged May on March 15 following several months of investigations into the matter, which allegedly took place in the days following Penrith’s premiership victory.

Sources have told News Corp that May took exception to a patron sledging Panthers players, and pulled the man to the ground.

Penrith bosses reported the incident to the NRL integrity unit, who gave clearance for May to be picked for the start of this year’s premiership, having viewed CCTV footage from the evening in question.

Panthers star Taylan May. Picture: NRL Images

The 20-year-old, nicknamed ‘Tiny’, has been one of the finds of the new 2022 season. Since replacing injured Origin winger Brian To’o in round three, May scored a hat-trick against Newcastle a fortnight ago and two more against beaten grand finalists South Sydney last weekend.

He has been named on the wing for Penrith’s clash against Canterbury on Sunday, and there is no suggestion he will be prevented from playing as the charge doesn’t meet the criteria under the NRL’s no-fault stand-down policy.

In a statement released on Wednesday evening, the club said: “Penrith Panthers can confirm that Queensland Police have charged player Taylan May with assault occasioning bodily harm.

“The charge relates to an incident that occurred in November 2021, while May was on leave following the 2021 NRL season.

“The club was made aware of the incident at the time, informed the NRL Integrity Unit and undertook an investigation into the matter.

“The club subsequently implemented disciplinary measures against May, while giving fair consideration to the circumstances of the incident, and deemed the matter finalised.

“The NRL has not imposed any disciplinary measures against May, therefore he is eligible for NRL selection.

“As the matter is now before the courts, the club will make no further comment until those proceedings have concluded.”

Taylan May has be in red hot form to start the season. Picture: NRL

News Corp on Wednesday contacted the NRL, which confirmed the Integrity Unit was aware of the alleged incident and would allow the court process to play out.

The May family has been in hot water with the NRL previously, with Tyrone sacked last year by Penrith over a controversial social media post.

The elder May was also embroiled in a sex-tape scandal that saw him stood down by the NRL in 2019 before being cleared to return to the Panthers and playing in their grand-final squad in 2020.

Tyrone May came off the bench in last year’s grand-final victory over the Rabbitohs and it was then that he uploaded a social-media post which marked the beginning of the end of his 56-game Panthers career.

The post was quickly deleted, but the NRL’s integrity unit slapped him with a $7,500 fine for “social media posts which do not align with the values of the game”.

May then had his Panthers contract torn-up after being called to front Penrith’s board.

“As a club we understand our responsibilities to the game, our corporate partners, our members and fans, and the wider rugby league community,” Panthers chief executive Brian Fletcher said at the time.

“The board observed due process in this matter and considered all relevant factors before reaching its final decision. Panthers will coordinate with the NRL to ensure Tyrone receives access to any support services he needs moving forward.”

Taylan May has been outstanding in Penrith’s sizzling start to the season. He has scored five tries in two games, amassing 366 running metres and following up on his hat-trick heroics against the Knights with a double in Penrith’s 26-12 defeat of Souths last week.