Penrith Panthers winger Taylan May ruled out of NRL season with knee injury

Penrith’s NRL premiership defense has taken a hit as winger Taylan May was declared out for the season with a knee injury.

May was hurt in a tackle during the Panthers’ World Club Challenge loss to St Helens, and scans revealed an ACL damage.

He was already scheduled to miss the opening two games of the season after the NRL controversially postponed an off-field ban late last season.

However, he will now miss the whole 2023 season as he recovers from knee surgery.

It comes after May crossed for 16 tries in a breakout rookie year for the Panthers last season, as he proved hard to stop on the left wing.

His work out of Penrith’s own end was also just as valuable, with he and Brian To’o regularly putting the Panthers on the front foot.

Fijian international Sunia Turuva will almost certainly be the player to replace May, with To’o likely to revert to the left wing and Turuva to feature on the right.

The club allowed back-up winger Charlie Staines to move to Wests Tigers over the off-season, in a player swap with Tyrone Peachey.

The Panthers have also lost Viliame Kikau and Apisai Koroisau to Canterbury and the Tigers respectively.

They face Brisbane at home in the first round as they look to win a third-straight premiership.