Penrith’s Taylan May opens up on assault charge and insists he did nothing wrong while ‘defending Nathan Cleary’: ‘Anyone would have done what I did’
- May was charged with assault occasioning bodily harm over nightclub incident
- Claims he was defending teammate Nathan Cleary at nightclub late last year
- Penrith winger says any good friend would have done what he did at the time
Penrith winger Taylan May has revealed his side of the incident that saw him slapped with assault charges over an alleged clash in a Queensland nightclub last October, insisting he was just sticking up for his teammate Nathan Cleary.
Police charged May with assault occasioning bodily harm after he allegedly dragged a patron to the ground at the Surfers Paradise venue during the team’s celebrations after they won the premiership.
The patron was allegedly heckling the group and recording them on his mobile phone without their consent at the time.
Now May has told the Sydney Morning Herald that while he admits no guilt over the charge, he was trying to defuse the situation and protect his friend Cleary.
Taylan May (pictured playing against the Brisbane Broncos on Good Friday) said he was trying to defuse a situation at a Queensland nightclub during the alleged clash that led to him being hit with an assault charge
The 20-year-old (pictured playing the Broncos) does not admit guilt but says he was defending his good friend Nathan Cleary and other teammates on the night in question
‘Anyone in my position, if they’re a good friend, they would have done what I did,’ he revealed.
‘I stuck up for Cleary. I don’t think I was in the wrong.
‘I didn’t want the situation to escalate … [my teammates] are big names, I’m a nobody.’
Cleary and May close, and the premiership-winning halfback is also great friends with May’s older brother Tyrone, who he shared a house with.
On Sunday Cleary revealed he hopes the younger May brother stays with Penrith as he came up through the local system and is the sort of player the club needs.
‘I love playing alongside him and I’d hate for him to play anywhere else,’ Cleary said.
Nathan Cleary (left, with his father and Penrith coach Ivan Cleary after the team’s 2021 grand final triumph) says May is always putting other people ahead of himself
Cleary (seen playing Brisbane on Good Friday) said he’d hate to see May play anywhere other than at Penrith
‘He’s always going to put other people above himself … He’s constantly putting the team first and his brothers ahead of him. He is definitely not a selfish guy.’
After May was charged in April, Penrith released a statement saying, ‘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.’
Penrith noted that the NRL has not handed down any penalty to May, meaning he is allowed to keep playing first grade.
May has been a revelation for the Panthers since making his NRL debut in round one this year, clocking up seven tries in just six rounds of action, including one against the Brisbane Broncos on Friday night when he swooped on a kick by Cleary.
His case is due to be heard in court on May 18.