Trent Robinson has leapt to the defence of Terrell May despite allowing the previously re-signed prop to leave the Sydney Roosters and join the Wests Tigers.
May inked a two-year extension at the Chooks in April and looked set to be a key cog in the side’s forward pack for years to come.
However, the Samoan international was then surprisingly informed that he was free to look elsewhere, which eventually resulted in his move to Concord.
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Trent Robinson clears up rumour around Terrell May’s exit at the Roosters
Questions understandably emerged around the reasons for why Robinson and the club turned sour on May so suddenly.
However, the Roosters coach has now dismissed the speculation about the club finding fault with his behaviour away from the field.
"He’s not a bad character, he hasn’t done anything wrong," Robinson told The Daily Telegraph.
"I think that has been (unfairly) thrown out there."
Instead, the head coach has insisted the decision was made with their future playing style at the forefront of his mind.
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May was utilised off the bench in all but eight of his 27 appearances for the Roosters last season, but frequently provided a massive impact off the pine.
He crossed for six tries, busted through 64 tackles, produced 40 offloads and averaged 110 run metres per game, while also tackling at 97 per cent efficiency through the middle.
"He was a value-add for our group but there’s just some small bits there around how we want to play," Robinson said.
"We felt like it was time to move in a different direction and express that to Terrell. But the difficult thing is that people have questioned his character and that shouldn’t be the case."
May’s move to the Tigers means the upheaval at Bondi will extend into the forward pack, with Jared Waerea-Hargreaves also departing.
Spencer Leniu will be expected to take over as a starting prop in the New Zealander’s absence alongside Lindsay Collins, while De La Salle Va'a could be one of the major beneficiaries of May’s exit.
The teenager was handed his NRL debut off the bench in Round 27 last season against South Sydney. And he made a strong first impression after churning through just shy of 100 run metres in 19 minutes of action.
"Terrell is a really good player, that’s why I played him so many games this year," Robinson said.
"But it does give opportunity for some guys underneath that to play more."
