‘It was a tough upbringing’: Why Taylan May has ‘pain’ inked on his face

1 week ago 6

If Taylan May ever needs motivation, helium lone has to look successful the mirror. Tattooed nether his close oculus successful reddish cursive penning is 1 connection – “pain”.

The young Panthers centre has revealed the meaning down the tattoo, arsenic good arsenic wherefore his surname is written crossed his neck.

And May besides spoke for the archetypal clip astir the disapproval helium received for posting a video online of a person speeding done a schoolhouse zone, and the situation of trying to halt erstwhile teammate Stephen Crichton connected Friday.

The 22-year-old scored his first effort of the play past Thursday against Souths, and celebrated by pretending to instrumentality a photo.

“I jumped connected [my PlayStation 5] precocious and saw this shot celebration, truthful I thought wherefore not,” May told this masthead.

“I’d emotion to bash a Batman celebration, but I don’t know. I privation to. But what would I do? Flap my wings?

Taylan May celebrating past week aft his archetypal effort of the season.

“The ‘pain’ tattoo successful the mediate of that photo, it’s fundamentally a spot of a ... connection for everything I’ve been through. Growing up, the trauma … I was successful lodging committee my full life, but for past twelvemonth erstwhile my parents bought a house. It was a pugnacious upbringing.”

The cervix tattoo of his surname is adjacent harder to miss.

“I got this during our week disconnected a fewer weeks ago,” helium said. “I got mate’s rates. I don’t similar fitting into society’s agenda. I similar to beryllium different. That’s the crushed down it. I person nary regrets. I americium what I am.”

May not lone scored his archetypal effort for the premiers past week, helium besides returned to societal media aft making headlines for posting a video of a person driving astatine 96km/h successful a schoolhouse zone.

The NRL Integrity Unit and Penrith looked into the incident, but May was ne'er sanctioned. The Samoan planetary understands wherefore radical were offended by the footage.

“I’ve enactment myself successful different people’s shoes,” May said. “I was successful the car, but I wasn’t driving – I can’t accidental who was driving.

“I didn’t deliberation determination was [much successful it] but that’s the satellite we unrecorded in. We’re high-profile [NRL players], truthful immoderate small happening [becomes a story]. I heard I was nether investigation, but I didn’t work into it much.

“I’m backmost connected societal media now. I needed a reset. I’ll bash it present and there. I’ll astir apt bash it again. I don’t similar to spot each the antagonistic stuff. I cognize that’s what comes with it.”

Taylan May showing disconnected his caller cervix tattoo past month.

May has been playing astatine near centre, which pits him against Canterbury skipper and close centre Crichton astatine PointsBet Stadium connected Friday evening.

After rupturing his ACL astatine the commencement of the 2023 season, May made a constituent of studying Crichton, particularly erstwhile it became wide helium was apt to regenerate him successful the centres aft “Critta” signed with the Dogs.

“I retrieve watching him portion I was injured, and to spell up against him now, I’m acceptable to spot what I tin do,” May said.

“He’s a carnal specimen, he’s built for centre – he’s the cleanable centre – and I can’t hold to play against him.”

Pushed connected however the Bulldogs had been playing, May said: “I don’t ticker immoderate footy. I don’t unrecorded and respire the sport. I conscionable play it. And I effort to bash my champion astatine it. God gave maine this blessing.”

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