EXCLUSIVE: Terrell May didn't think being an 80-minute prop was a big deal. Here's why

Terrell May stands in the middle of North Sydney Oval, ready to talk footy.

With the signature bum bag wrapped around his body, May does it his way. And rugby league's better for it. Authenticity. It's hard to find in professional sport at times, but he has it in spades.

He doesn't shy away from how his perspective on the world has shaped who he is right now.

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In his own words, "my life's pretty good".

It's been a whirlwind nine months for the damaging prop.

A tour of England with Samoa, cut from his club, starring for the Tigers and then missing out on Origin.

Throw in a Twitch drama and you have a season full of scrutiny. Not that it's impacted him.

"It's gone quick, to be honest. It's been amazing ... I wouldn't change anything. I love the Tigers and I've been happy off the field too," he told Wide World of Sports ahead of the Beer, Footy, Food Festival.

He may be at the famed Oval to promote the festival, but he's not a drinker of beer.

"I don't know what it tastes like," he told the TV cameras.

He is a suburban football fan though. He watches his local junior side play every month and spent two years at North Sydney in NSW Cup.

His time progressing through the grades is well documented. He gave the game away twice at 18 and 20.

Now at 26 there's no arguing he's one of the better props in the game.

At the Roosters he was coming off the bench and providing impact and now at the Tigers he's capable of playing 80 minutes in the middle.

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Asked whether he's ever considered himself an 80-minute prop, May ponders for a second before admitting that's not the case.

"I just started playing prop two years ago, I was always playing back row and I didn't know that playing big minutes in the middle was like a big thing, so I always thought it was normal to just play 80 minutes," he said.

"When I used to play middle when I was younger, I'd just never get taken off and even in 20s I'd just play the whole game.

"Coming into grade everyone reckons it's some big deal, it is because you're in a washing machine but I just feel like it's normal to me.

"I've just got to keep doing my job and whatever's best for the team, even if that's playing 30 minutes, if that's best for the team I'll do it."

May admits the fitness was always there. But the work ethic wasn't.

A "trash mentality" he describes it.

"I quit a lot and did that kind of stuff, but now I think my mental state's very good and when I do get tired I just think about stuff that other people go through and playing 80 minutes in the NRL is easier than what other people are going through," he continued.

May isn't afraid to go deeper.

"As bad as it sounds like kids dying and getting bombed, all that kind of stuff, I just look at it and just think how can I say my life's so hard when there's other people not sleeping in a house, or sleeping on the ground in this kind of weather," he said.

"I just look at my life and think I could be way worse, but my life's very good.

"I feel like when you're happy off the field you're going to be good on the field.

"That's always been my mindset ... when I go into every game, even if I'm feeling down, I just go back to what other people are doing in this world and I and be grateful for what I have because my life's way better than 99.9 per cent of the people in this world."