Penrith Panthers legend Greg Alexander has slammed the club’s ‘out of line’ NRL premiership stars over their ‘ugly’ post-season antics as he issued a stern warning to the players to pull their heads in.
The wild celebrations continue following Penrith’s thrilling 14-12 win against South Sydney Rabbitohs at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium to claim the club’s third premiership.
The Panthers stars have dominated news headlines the last week over their wild partying antics and controversial posts shared on social media.
As NRL Integrity Unit prepares to probe Tyrone May and Nathan Cleary over an alleged border breach by three Sydney men who snuck into Queensland, league officials are also furious about alleged damage to the premiership trophy.
Nathan Cleary (pictured with his family after the grand final) will be interviewed by the NRL Integrity Unit on Tuesday
Alexander, who captained the club to their maiden premiership 30 years ago isn’t happy about a lot of what he’s seen reported in the media in the last week.
They include May’s post-grand final posts alluding to his previous sex tape scandal and footage of Viliame Kikau mocking his grand final opponents by singing Glory, Glory to South Sydney.
Players also raised eyebrows over footage of their rowdy Mad Monday celebrations after a long night of partying.
After gathering at a Sunshine Coast beach to watch the sunset and down breakfast beers before heading to a nearby beachfront brewery for the day.
Match winning try scorer Stephen Crichton is seen shirtless in a Lakers cap and holding a cocktail glass while rapping to Stormzy’s hit Shut Up.
In the background, teammate Moses Leota appears to be asleep while sitting on a bar stool, while five-eighth Jarome Luai and another player try to talk to him.
Another photo show Kikau is seen still his playing kit from the night before as he murders a karaoke song.
Alexander, who broke down live on air on Fox Sports moments after last Sunday’s night’s grand win last heard from the players since they FaceTimed him shortly afterwards.
Panthers legend Greg Alexander says the social media antics of the Penrith stars in the last week has been ‘out of line’
Alexander, who’s on the Panthers Group board of directors hopes to get an explanation from players this week.
‘There have been a couple of social media things that haven’t impressed me,’ the NSW Blues assistant coach told SEN 1170 Mornings on Monday.
‘I think a couple of our players need to pull their heads in after what they’ve posted on social media.
‘It gets a bit out of control. I don’t follow social media.
‘I’ve had people tell me about what’s been posted, and some of it shouldn’t have been.
‘It was a bit out of line.’
Alexander downplayed damage allegedly inflicted on the Provan-Summons trophy by referring to an incident during the Canberra Raiders maiden premiership celebrations in 1991.
NRL bosses are reported to be upset with the damage by the iconic trophy, which left the game’s Gladiators Norm Provan and Arthur Summons detached from the base of the trophy.
Photos on social media appear to show the trophy in a pram with the caption ‘googoo gaga’, while another shows it being held in a baby sling.
The club is expected to be charged the repair bill for the trophy, which is worth $30,000.
Panthers winger Stephen Crichton (pictured) is shirtless in a Lakers cap and holding a cocktail glass while rapping to Stormzy’s hit Shut Up during the club’s Mad Monday celebrations
The NRL is investigating if the Panthers damaged the premiership trophy
A photo shows the NRL premiership trophy ‘badly damaged’, with the figurines atop the trophy separated from the base.
Alexander believes the latest damage was an accident and ‘not a real issue’.
‘I don’t think the trophy is a biggie,’ Alexander said.
‘Laurie Daley in 1989 the trophy fell off the back of a ute down in Canberra in one of the parades. It tumbled off the back of the ute.
‘When they said the trophy has been damaged it wouldn’t have been on purpose. It would have been an accident.
‘I don’t think that is a real issue.’
NRL chairman Peter V’landys wouldn’t weigh in on the Panthers post-season celebrations but agreed the trophy damage would have been accidental.
‘I am 100 per cent certain there was no intention to be disrespectful,’ V’landys he told the Daily Telegraph.
‘However people have perceived it to be that way,’
Tyrone May (left holding trophy) will also be questioned by the NRL Integrity Unit on Tuesday
Meanwhile, the NRL Integrity Unit will probe Cleary on Tuesday after he was dragged into an alleged border breach by three Sydney men who snuck into Queensland for the NRL decider.
The men, aged, 23, 24 and 25 allegedly drove from Sydney into Queensland shortly after 2.30pm last Saturday with incorrect border passes for the grand final the following night.
The trio, reported to mates of Cleary were allegedly busted after photos on social media showed them partying in the Sunshine State.
They were eventually fined $4,135 by Queensland Police for breaching Covid-19 health orders.
Cleary’s teammate and housemate May will also be interviewed by the integrity unit.
Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting neither Cleary or May knew about the alleged border breach.
But it’s understood the pair will be ‘hit hard’ if found to be involved the border breach, The Daily Telegraph’s Michael Carayannis told SEN on Tuesday.
Panthers players celebrating after winning the NRL Grand Final against the Rabbitohs
Earlier in the week, May copped online backlash after he called out the people who ‘threw dirt’ on his name during his legal dramas.
He quoted lyrics from the Drake hit Fair Trade, referring to his court battle as he thanked the Cleary family for their support.
‘And the dirt that they threw on my name turned to soil and I grew up out it,’ he wrote. ‘Time for y’all to figure out what y’all goin’ do about it,’ he captioned photos celebrating with his coach and teammate after the grand final win.
May also posted a photo being flanked by his coach at court on the day of his court sentencing in early 2020.
Several Panthers teammates commented on the post before it was eventually deleted.
The Panthers utility missed the entire 2019 season after being suspended by the NRL’s controversial no-fault stand down policy while facing charges over leaking the sex tape.
May was sentenced to 300 hours of community service and placed on a three-year good behaviour bond in early 2020.
Greg Alexander (pictured in 1992) has called on several stars to ‘pull their heads in’
The Penrith junior was supported in court by the Clearys as he pleaded guilty to four charges of disseminating images and recording images without consent.
May was charged after he filmed a sexual act with a woman at Coffs Harbour in February 2018.
He also filmed a sexual act with another woman in Kingswood in May 2018.
Magistrate Robyn Denes described his filming of the sexual interaction as ‘reprehensible’ when handing down his punishment.
Nathan Cleary (right) has spent the last week celebrating the Panthers premiership win
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