'This ain't it': Fury over Tyrone May's grand final Instagram post

Penrith Panthers player Tyrone May has been criticised by fans for an Instagram post in which he references his criminal conviction from last year.

May was charged with four counts of intentionally recording an intimate image without consent, which he pleaded guilty to in January 2020, having missed the previous season under the NRL's 'no fault' stand down policy.

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He was handed a three-year good behaviour bond and ordered to complete 300 hours of community service, with May returning to the Panthers fold soon after.

The 25-year-old has stayed out of trouble since, but a series of posts made in the midst of Penrith's premiership celebrations have left some NRL fans frustrated.

May accompanied a picture of himself arriving at court with coach Ivan Cleary with lyrics from Canadian rapper Drake's song 'Fair Trade'.

The utility's choice of lyrics left many people with the impression he felt like he had been wronged, as opposed to being responsible for filming someone without their consent.

“And the dirt that they threw on my name/turned to soil and I grew up out it/time for y’all to figure out what y’all gon’ do about it,” the lyrics read.

Many NRL fans were disappointed by the post, who interpreted it as evidence that May felt he was the one who had been wronged in the situation.

May limited the post so that it couldn't be commented on by people who don't follow him.

Many other NRL players appeared in the comments, with Panthers centre Stephen Crichton writing "They hate but then they all copy".

The likes of Nathan Cleary, Brian To'o and Viliame Kikau, among several other high-profile NRL players, also posted messages of support.

In addition to the criminal charges against him, May was also legally pursued for damages by one of the victims over the 'psychological damage' stemming from the illegal sex tape.

Both parties settled out of court earlier this year.

Bittersweet Penrith end for Matt Burton

Matt Burton joins Canterbury as a five-eighth in 2022 but made a convincing case as a class centre in the NRL grand final, just as Penrith believed he would.

Playing out of position in his final game for the Panthers, the Dubbo-born star was close to best on the field in Sunday night's 14-12 grand final win over South Sydney.

The 22-year-old try-scorer will move to the Bulldogs next season for a spot in the halves with Jarome Luai and Nathan Cleary ahead of him at the Panthers.

However, watching his performance on Sunday night was bittersweet for the club who desperately tried to sell Burton a spot in the centres to keep him at Penrith.

"He's been crazy. He's not even a centre," Luai said.

"To go from five-eighth ... I put myself in his shoes it would definitely be tough, but it shows how much of a footballer he is and shows what kind of career he's got in front of him."

Burton missed out on the No.6 jersey when James Maloney left the club at the end of 2019, with Luai chosen to partner Cleary instead.

Cleary and Laui have now combined for a State of Origin series win for NSW and an NRL premiership for the Panthers, but letting Burton slip to another club was the consequence.

Luai admits that Burton's breakthrough season has forced him to become a batter player.

"Yeah it did," he said.

"That was also another learning curve for me, just realising there's always someone waiting for your spot so you've got to be at your best every week.

"He's an awesome player and I definitely think he might see this stage again in the near future."

With AAP

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