Penrith star Taylan May’s assault charge for allegedly punching his wife in the face will reportedly see him fired indefinitely from the NRL.
The 22-year-old Panthers star was arrested in Penrith at 5am on Saturday.
It is alleged he punched a woman he knew in the face and leg during an argument at a Sydney home on April 8.
May has been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and two counts of stalking or intimidating another person with intent to put him or her in fear of physical or mental harm.
May (pictured earlier this month in Souths) was arrested at 5am on Saturday after allegedly punching his wife in the face and leg
The NRL can automatically dismiss any star facing a charge carrying a prison sentence of 11 years or more, but the league will reportedly use its discretion to bench May.
He has been bailed to appear at Penrith Local Court on May 28.
The charges are not serious enough to trigger the NRL’s no-fault stand-down rule, which applies to players accused of crimes that could land them in prison for 11 years or more.
However, the league is preparing to use its discretion to suspend May indefinitely, News Corp reported.
Penrith kept May ahead of their shock defeat to the Warriors on Sunday, with coach Ivan Cleary later refusing to blame the defeat on the latest scandal surrounding the winger.
The Panthers confirmed they were aware of the incident and subsequent allegations.
‘[The] Panthers have notified the NRL Integrity Unit and will cooperate throughout the process,” a club statement said.
The 22-year-old (pictured celebrating a try against Souths earlier this month) will appear in court on May 28 on charges including assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
‘As this is a legal matter the club wishes to make no further comment at this stage.’
May has been sidelined by Penrith as they prepare to take on the Warriors on Sunday as part of the NRL’s Magic Round.
The center has played all 30 of his first-division games with Penrith, the powerhouse club that won the last three NRL premierships.
He is regarded as one of the NRL’s rising stars and signed a two-year contract extension with the Panthers in March.
As of Saturday afternoon, May had not been suspended by the NRL under its no-fault stand-down policy, but the integrity unit is investigating the matter.