PANTHERS star James Maloney has denied he and Nathan Cleary have a strained relationship.
Maloney, who is out with a knee injury until the finals, told
Fox Sports’ Big League Wrap that the reports of a rift between the pair are wide of the mark.
“I don’t know where that has come from because I don’t read the papers,” Maloney said.
I'd be very surprised how something like that has come about.
“I’ve got a really good relationship with Nathan and we were out at training talking through everything we wanted to do today with Ciro (Cameron Ciraldo).
“Where we are at in terms of a relationship between two halves partners, I think it’s brilliant.
"In terms of working out how we are going to play, we are still working on that and we will get it right in the next couple of weeks.”
Ever since the sacking of former coach Anthony Griffin, the Panthers have been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Maloney concedes it is hard for the outside pressures to not affect some players in the lead up to the finals.
"I think it is hard because it is an individual thing,” Maloney said.
“I don’t think I see half the stuff that goes on because I don’t read the papers, so I’m just oblivious to it all.
“That’s how I’ve always been, I don’t buy into all of the talk, so it doesn’t bother me.
“I suppose with young players and you don’t know who is seeing what and how they are thinking and that’s a challenge.
“The build up to the weekend against the Knights at training was fantastic, so it was a little bit disappointing to see the performance we put out.”
https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...n/news-story/d2cac03822d07210b60656f36ce2a4cf