Inside Tyrone May’s rise as Hull KR star points out one thing

Tyrone May has credited Willie Peters as the reason for his Hull KR success, and is determined to send him out on a high.

May has arguably been Super League’s outstanding player so far this season and will play a key role as Rovers look to defend the Challenge Cup trophy on Saturday.

It was Peters who convinced May to leave Perpignan for Hull, and subsequently to remain when offers have come elsewhere.

May has rewarded Peters for that support, and wants to ensure he goes out on a high.

“I think it’s the people in the club, in and around the club. Willie’s probably the main one where the reason I probably stayed was him and just the confidence that he has in me to be able to go out there and do what I do. That was probably the main thing and everyone in and around the board.

“You have their full support and all the boys on the field. I feel like the job’s made easier because everyone around you knows what they’re doing. I guess that’s why it’s been going so well.”

Peters leaves for PNG Chiefs at the end of the year, and May said: “It was a bit of a gut punch to be fair. I was into him, but also I’m happy for him at the same time. Selfishly, I want him to stay, but as a mate away from the field, I think he deserves it. I don’t see someone that lives and breathes it harder than him. I get voice messages any hour of the night or any time of the day, but it comes from a good place.

“It just shows that he cares and I feel like he’ll go over there and he’ll do well because he won’t leave us staying unturned. Last night at 9.30, he messaged me just, what have you been doing? Big T, you’ve been quiet, just because I haven’t messaged you in a few days.

“Stuff like that, but I think that’s the relationship now we’ve built. Even away from here, we’ll still be good mates, I feel like. I think just as a person, he probably understands me a lot and I understand him, so I feel like when I’m finished and he’s finished, we’ll probably still be friends and that’s what it’s about.

“I think he’s just given me responsibility, really. I think he knew coming into it, I was a bit different to other players that he’s had before and I wanted the responsibility. That’s why I came here in the first place, to play half-back and be the half-back and then he just kept giving me more and more and obviously, there are some things that he probably still gets annoyed with at me. Sometimes when I just don’t feel like talking today, I just want to talk for a bit and then he’ll be into me saying, ‘Come on, mate, you’re the half-back’.

“But being around Micky McIlorum a lot, I don’t like to waste words or speak unnecessarily, so I think just taking bits and pieces from people who I’ve been around and people I’ve come across is what I like to do.“