Misunderstood. That’s how Tigers coach Benji Marshall described Terrell May after his team’s round one defeat on Friday.

And perhaps May, who played 65 minutes at prop in his first match for the Tigers after a mysterious exit from the Roosters, is a little misunderstood. After all, he’s the 25-year-old footballer who doesn’t watch footy, makes his own video blogs and “sounds like a gronk”.

But Benji gets him.

“I feel like Benji knows me so well,” May said on Friday following the Tigers’ 10-8 loss to Newcastle. “We chat a lot; it’s the first time I have really chatted to a coach like this, like personally.

“He even texts me sometimes and just checks up on me. I just feel like he’s an older brother to me, to be honest.

“I don’t really see him like he’s a coach … I see him more as an older brother, and that’s why I want to go out there and do the best for him, and do the best for this club, because he brought me over and I’ve got to repay him back.”

For Marshall, May’s 65 minutes of impact – which included 189 run metres, five offloads and a team-high 34 tackles – wasn’t a surprise.

“That’s why we signed him,” Marshall said. “I think Terrell is a bit of a misunderstood guy, and when you get to know him he’s so smart when it comes to footy. And I think all the talk about him not actually liking footy is pretty false because he actually loves it.