Former Penrith Panthers utility Tyrone May has opened up on the details of his shocking injury in the opening World Cup clash against England, revealing he had already been contacted by former coach Ivan Cleary.
May suffered the injury after a tackle by England's Kallum Watkins, and was taken to hospital after a significant delay to the game, which saw him taken from the field in a stretcher.
He already had a close relationship with the Cleary family prior to the club releasing him in the wake of controversial comments following the 2021 NRL Grand Final.
That closeness has clearly been maintained, with the senior Cleary reaching out to his former player in the hours following his injury, with Cleary having suffered a similar injury during his playing days.
“I know Ivan did (a hip dislocation) as well,” May told NewsCorp.
“He rang me after I'd done mine. It helps that I'm close to him because I can get a good idea of how it's going to affect me.
“I'm not allowed to bend at 90 degrees from the hip. I have to learn to sit down and do stuff like that,
“They say three months, but I think that's for everyday people. I need a booster chair to go to the toilet, I need one to sit down.
“I don't really know too many people who've had this type of injury.
“You never know now with sports science, how much more advanced it is compared to then. I'll just play it by ear, take a week to digest it and go from there.”
“I felt like my hip was in my arse (sic). I couldn't feel my leg.”
Though his time in the tournament is done, May is currently signed to Catalans Dragons meaning he won't be required to return to Australia like team mate Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow. May is hoping he can still remain around the Samoan camp as his brother Taylan prepares for his World Cup debut.
