Phil Gould has revealed he came within a handshake of signing Terrell May for the Bulldogs nearly a year and a half ago, only to watch the powerful prop emerge as one of the most impactful forwards of the early 2025 NRL season in Wests Tigers colours.

Speaking on his podcast with Mathew Thompson, Six Tackles with Gus, Gould admitted he's long rated May and now believes the 25-year-old is pushing into genuine State of Origin contention after producing 'Origin-like benchmarks' through the opening two rounds.

With the Roosters quietly offloading him at the end of last year despite having extended his deal months earlier, May has found fresh purpose at Concord, racking up an average of 183 run metres and 39 tackles per game in an explosive start under Benji Marshall.

“Terrell May is a late maturer,” Gould said.

“But he is producing Origin-like benchmarks in his game. He's every chance of playing for NSW, from what he's done the last couple of weeks and what he did last year.”

Gould didn't elaborate on the failed Bulldogs deal but confirmed a verbal agreement was reached before it collapsed.

"I actually shook hands with his manager on a deal 16 months ago, but it didn't eventuate."

“I'm not going to tell the story, but I've always rated Terrell as a player. He's a very determined young man and he's got his best football in front of him.”

The Roosters' decision to cut May at the end of 2024 came without explanation, and the player himself has remained guarded on the matter.

“He's pretty tight-lipped and so are the Roosters about what happened there,” Gould said.

“But it's been the Wests Tigers' gain.”

May's path to prominence has hardly followed the usual trajectory. Viewed as a fringe player early in his career, his professionalism and drive were questioned before a slow-burn development saw him blossom over the past two seasons.

Gould believes that maturity and mindset have now caught up with his physical gifts.

“Terrell probably wasn't as dedicated in the early years as a lot of the other players and slipped through the cracks,” he said.

“He's had to find his way back the hard way, but there is a determination within him now to prove how good he can be.”

While Gould stopped short of locking May in for a Blues jersey, his belief was clear.

“I'm not saying he will play Origin, but he's got the credentials to play if he keeps going,” he said.

“If they want an 80-minute middle forward, Terrell May wouldn't be out of place and he wouldn't be intimidated by it.”

And for the Wests Tigers, who have often found themselves on the wrong side of the recruitment ledger in recent years, May's resurgence might just prove to be one of the smartest buys of the club's modern era.

“It was a good pick-up by the Tigers,” Gould said.

“He's got the best football in front of him.”