The Penrith Panthers have sacked Tyrone May after the 25-year-old “constituted a serious breach of his contractual obligations” following the grand final.
May was stood down from all Panthers commitments until “further notice” following a controversial post on Instagram after the grand final.
The post, which was deleted three days later, was investigated by the NRL Integrity Unit.
The Panthers board met last week to discuss the matter before issuing the 25-year-old with a show cause notice.
He fronted the board on Wednesday, where he was sacked.
The club confirmed the decision in a statement on Wednesday afternoon, saying the utility’s conduct after the grand final was a “serious breach of his contractual obligations,” while also confirming that May’s prior offences were taken into consideration too.
“As a club we understand our responsibilities to the game, our corporate partners, our members and fans, and the wider Rugby League community,” Panthers CEO Brian Fletcher said via a statement.
“The board observed due process in this matter and considered all relevant factors before reaching its final decision.
“Panthers will co-ordinate with the NRL to ensure Tyrone receives access to any support services he needs moving forward.”
Following the grand final win, May uploaded a series of photos to Instagram with lyrics from ‘Fair Trade’ by Drake as the caption.
The first photo was of himself in a suit attending Parramatta Local Court for his trial regarding a sex tape. The following photos celebrated the win.
May pleaded guilty to four counts of intentionally recording an image without consent and in January, 2020, was sentenced to 300 hours of community service, as part of a three-year community corrections order.
Story first published on Fox Sports Australia