Bulldogs boss Phil Gould has launched a stunning defence of Taylan May, claiming the young Panthers star “should be congratulated” after being found guilty of assault.
May was fined $7500 by the NRL, ordered to undergo counselling and suspended for two games over the incident at a pub during the Panthers grand final celebrations.
The suspension, however, will only be enforced ar the start of the 2023 season meaning May is eligible to play for the Panthers in the NRL finals series.
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During the hearing, the court heard Nathan Cleary had approached an 18-year-old man who had earlier taken a video of him at the Duporth Tavern in Maroochydore and wanted it deleted.
CCTV footage presented to the court showed May walk up behind the man while he was talking with Cleary and Tyrone May.
He can then be seen grabbing the man by the collar of his shirt and pulling him to the ground. The man suffered a sprained neck during the assault.
In opting to delay the suspension, the NRL considered the “impact” and when the incident and trial took place — allowing May to serve his ban at the start of the 2023 season.
The decision, however, was met with fierce criticism within the rugby league community.
“Disgraceful management by the NRL, how Andrew Abdo allowed this to happen,” Kent said on NRL360 on Tuesday night.
“He got found guilty in court, Penrith put out some wacky statement saying he was harassing the players when he first got charged.
“He has got to court and admitted the kid had somehow filmed him and he asked him to take it off his phone and he wouldn’t do it, but none of this warrants what happened here.
“And yet the NRL, under some system that has never been applied before, are allowing him to serve a two-game suspension in Rounds 1 and 2 next year, rather than right now.”
Gould took to Twitter on Wednesday and said May should never have been suspended in the first place.
“Why argue over when Taylan May suspension should be served? Why was he suspended at all?,” he tweeted,
“No conviction recorded by court. $1000 fine. Hardly serious matter. Video clearly shows he defused situation before it escalated.
“Why are footballers always wrong? May should be congratulated.”
It comes as rugby league boss Peter V’landys revealed the decision to postpone May’s suspension was due to the fans.
He told Channel 9: “A lot of ex-players look at it through a player’s lens, we look at it through everyone’s’ lens, and the most important person at the moment is the fan.
“Why penalise Penrith fans for an indiscretion that the player did? The person that should be paying the penalty is the player, and (May) will, because he will miss two matches and a substantial part of his salary.”
