Penrith Panthers star winger Taylan May has expressed his desire to return in the centres for the 2024 season.
May has missed the entirety of the 2023 season after suffering a torn ACL during the World Club Challenge against a travelling St Helens side prior to kick-off.
The nine to twelve month recovery, which is understood to be tracking as per schedule, or even slightly ahead, saw May's season end before it began, with the young winger likely to be fit in time for the start of pre-season in November.
His absence from the first-grade set-up has seen Sunia Turuva take over on the wing, and with both he and New South Wales Blues State of Origin winger Brian To'o set to continue into 2024 with the men from the foot of the mountains, there were questions around how the backline would shape up.
That is only added to by the fact that Stephen Crichton is on his way out of the club, with the star signing a deal to join the Canterbury Bulldogs from the start of the 2024 campaign.
Speaking to The Western Weekender in a wide-ranging interview, May said he wants to play in the centres, effectively replacing Crichton.
โIt's no secret that I want to play in the centres,โ May told the publication.
โI don't see myself as a winger anymore. Obviously, if I have to play there I will, but I see myself more as a centre anyways. I feel like I can do more there.โ
It's understood May has added size to his upper body in preparation for the switch.
The news of the position swap may come as a surprise to Penrith fans given May's excellent start to his career on the wing, which saw him score 16 tries in 21 games during the 2022 season, where Penrith won their second-straight premiership.
While May's swap to the centres will mean To'o and Sunia Turuva retain their spots in the line-up without a question, what it means for young gun Thomas Jenkins remains to be seen.
Off-contract at the end of this season, the 22-year-old has looked every bit the NRL player in his four games to this point. Making his debut in an understrength Penrith side against the North Queensland Cowboys in the final round of the 2022 season, the 188-centimetre back has scored three tries in three games this year all coming on the wing.
He has averaged 111 metres per contest and added a try assist to go with three line breaks and four tackle busts in those games.
In reserve grade, he has scored 14 tries in 17 games this year, taking his total to 40 in 49 games, with 40 tackle busts and 108 metres per game.
Despite being listed as a centre, he has played every game on the wing in the reserve grade competition this year, but it's unlikely he will want to continue being a back-up option in both positions next year with May's return to the top grade.
