Terrell May drops staggering claim about Ben Hunt in new revelation about ugly Roosters exit

New Wests Tigers recruit Terrell May has admitted his shock at being not wanted by the Roosters feeling blindsided by the decision claiming the club's play for Ben Hunt was a big reason behind his exit. May was left dumbfounded when the Roosters told him he could negotiate with rival clubs after enjoying a stellar 2024 NRL season.

May was one of the best forwards for coach Trent Robinson having featured in nearly every Roosters NRL in their preliminary final run. The forward had only just signed signed a $950,000 contract extension with the club and thought he would be at the club for a few years to come.

Then a few weeks after the end of the NRL season he was told he was not in the Roosters' plans going forward and could speak with rival clubs. While May wasn't forced out the door and could have stayed, there was no shortage of clubs wanting him to join.

This saw Benji Marshall - with the help of Jarome Luai - lure him to the Tigers with the forward joining the rebuild. And May has revealed he was left stunned when Robinson called him to tell him he wasn't in his plans for 2025.

He even thought it was a prank call. But the forward realised the Roosters' play for the new free agent, Hunt, was probably why they made such a quick decision. “He [Robinson] did his spiel and I was lost for words,” May told The Sydney Morning Herald.

“I didn’t really digest it until a week later because I was in shock. I couldn’t fathom it. I thought I did something wrong back home ... I didn’t understand...Then I realised what the date was. It was November 1 the next day. Ben Hunt just came onto the market. I started putting two and two together.”

Terrell May blasts speculation over Roosters exit

May is joining an exciting product at the Wests Tigers with Luai and Sunia Turuva also joining from the Panthers. The 25-year-old will also likely get more game time at the Tigers as he walks into their starting line-up.

Although the forward wasn't happy with how his exit unfolded. Plenty was made to why the Roosters suddenly let May go. Speculation claimed May was let go because of his commitment to NRL wavered after a previous interview about his love for the game.

Other suggestions had claimed the Roosters believed May had reached his potential at the club. However, May slammed the speculation as 'stupid' and admitted he is more ready than ever to take his game to another level and prove all the doubters wrong.

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And May will have the opportunity to achieve this as he slots right in for Stefano Utoikamanu who left for the Storm. And Roosters great Bryan Fletcher recently claimed the Tigers had made a great bit of business.

"Stefano on his day is very hard to contain but it was his inconsistencies that I felt (let him down)," Fletcher said on SEN Radio. "And now they're going to get a player who I think has more upside and probably at the same level as Stefano (Utoikamanu) for half the price."