Terrell May has firmly rejected allegations that he was the player vaping in the Wests Tigers' gym, suggesting that his surname makes him an easy target for those criticizing the club's culture.
As he indicated that his participation in Samoa's campaign for the World Cup is uncertain, May addressed the speculation surrounding him since the Adam Doueihi incident last month.
Though May wasn't explicitly named, reports suggested that one of Doueihi's complaints about the club involved players vaping or using man bags during weight training.
Many speculated about May, who often wears a cross-body bag, as well as his brother Taylan, as contributing to the club's cultural problems.
The Tigers prop, who has previously participated in marathons and maintains a strict diet, was surprised to see his name associated with these rumors.
"It's funny how people straight away tossed my name up when really I had nothing to do with any of that stuff," May told AAP.
"I feel like it just happens all the time, that whenever stuff goes down here, (people say) 'I bet you it's the May boys'. So I'm used to it.
"I don't have any social media anymore, so I don't see any of it, until people in my family started texting me saying, 'When did you start vaping and doing all this stuff?'
"I was like, 'Oh, I never did', and they're like, 'Oh, everyone in the media is saying you were vaping, you and your brother.'
"I just started laughing at them, saying, 'How are you gonna believe these guys when I don't even do it when it's away from the cameras? But it is what it is, it's an easy target … they don't want to see us succeed."
May is set to play in the Tigers' last regular-season match against Penrith on Sunday but has expressed dissatisfaction with his performance in 2026.
He hopes to demonstrate his value to Samoa but is unsure about his availability due to potential off-season surgery after injuring his deltoid ligament in his ankle during a training session.
"I did that at training but have played with it all year," said May, who will meet with the Tigers' medical team next week to discuss surgery options.
"I want to come back early and have a good pre-season - I had a few issues in the pre-season and came back really underdone.
"But then again, I've never played a World Cup and to play for your country is not an easy thing to do.
"It happens every four years so we're still tossing that up."
Samoa is already missing prop Payne Haas, and losing May would be another setback for coach Ben Gardiner.
In a positive development for Samoa, Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo confirmed on Wednesday that Stephen Crichton would be available to play in the World Cup after overcoming shoulder problems this year.
"Since the Origin period, his body's been pretty good, and he's had a really good back half of the season," Ciraldo stated.
"Playing for Samoa means a lot to him and we're excited to see him on the big stage."