Panthers star Taylan May will miss preliminary final through suspension AND injury

Panthers winger Taylan May definitely won’t play in the NRL preliminary final after injuring his hamstring in Friday’s qualifying win over Parramatta.

The 21-year-old was also charged on Saturday with a Grade 2 careless high tackle on Eels centre Will Penisini in what was personally a night to forget for the Samoan international.

May, who controversially was cleared to play by the NRL in the finals series despite being found guilty of assault occasioning bodily harm following an incident last October in a Sunshine Coast pub, limped off injured in the second half at Bluebet Stadium.

Earlier, May was sin-binned following a high shot on Penisini, which rocked the rising star.

May’s season now hangs in the balance.

He can take the early guilty plea and miss Penrith’s preliminary final in two weeks, or risk a two week suspension if he fights the charge and loses.

Given his hamstring tweak, May isn’t tipped to contest the charge from the Match Review Committee.

The Minchinbury Jets junior will also miss the first two matches of the 2023 NRL season following the bizarre ruling from the NRL this week following May’s court date in Maroochydore.

On Friday, NRL great Cameron Smith slammed the NRL for their ‘ridiculous’ decision surrounding May’s two-game suspension next season.

Speaking on SEN Radio, the former Melbourne Storm skipper spoke for many footy fans when he questioned the inconsistencies surrounding player bans.

Panthers winger Taylan May definitely won’t play in the NRL preliminary final after injuring his hamstring in Friday’s NRL qualifying win over Parramatta

The 21-year-old was also charged on Saturday with a Grade 2 careless high tackle on Eels centre Will Penisini in what was personally a night to forget for the Samoan international (pictured, getting sin-binned)

May was cleared to play by the NRL in the finals series despite being found guilty of assault occasioning bodily harm following an incident last October in a Sunshine Coast pub (May is circled in red)

‘We all know how the season ended for the Broncos. They were missing one of their most influential players for a month in Patrick Carrigan for a hip drop tackle,’ Smith said.

‘He got four weeks, in those four weeks the Broncos lost three games and won one, and just really put a nail in their coffin for the season.

‘The Roosters, they’ve lost Lindsay Collins for four weeks for a similar incident, a hip drop tackle on Tom Eisenhuth against the Storm. They won’t see him again this year unless they make the Grand Final.

‘Did the Roosters or the Broncos fans apply those tackles, because I’d like to think that now they’re being punished for those players not being there.

May has been a standout for the Panthers this season, in his first full year playing in the NRL

If he isn’t injured, May was also expected to represent Samoa at the World Cup in the UK later this year

‘Latrell Mitchell, high contact on Joseph Manu, (he got) six weeks. He missed the entire finals series and a Grand Final (2021) that they lost by just two points, two points against Penrith.

‘Was that the Rabbitohs fans’ fault that Latrell performed that high contact on Joey Manu? No it wasn’t, so why are we now changing the rules?

‘I bring up these three cases because we’ve got the same management in the NRL, we’ve got the same management in our commission, yet we’re changing the rules.

‘It’s ridiculous. We’ve never seen this before…I just think this is craziness. He (May) should be serving his two weeks right now.’