The Melbourne Storm has broken its silence on the shock comments made by Phil Gould about the club's star hooker Harry Grant ahead of State of Origin 3 on Wednesday night.
It probably wasn't the distraction Grant and the Queensland Maroons needed on the eve of the Origin decider, with Gould coming under scrutiny for his comments suggesting the crafty hooker doesn't play by the rules.
Although clearly a tongue-in-cheek comment, Gould sensationally called Grant a "cheat" on Nine's 100% Footy on Monday night when the panel was discussing him and his Storm predecessor Cameron Smith and their influence on the referee during matches.
Because of Gould's influential position at rival club the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, where he is the general manager of football, it has left plenty scratching their heads.
Storm chairman Matt Tripp has fired back at comments made by Gould, insisting the claim made by the former Blues coach had no weight and won't derail Grant ahead of his Origin blockbuster.
"This is what we've come to expect from Gus – we couldn't care less what he's got to say," Tripp told The Sydney Morning Herald.
"This time last year, Gus said Harry was Queensland's best player to try and put pressure on him and unnerve him.
"Now he's doing the same thing, but this time calling him a cheat in the hope he gets under his skin.
"It's water off a duck's back for Harry. It's a really strange thing to say about a player who is one of the fairest in the game.
"To call him a cheat is pretty ridiculous. It certainly hasn't annoyed Harry."
Under the new TV rights deal, speculation has been mounting that the NRL is keen to crack down on media personalities who also have roles at clubs in a bid to tighten up conflicting arguments and conflicts of interest.
It suggests it may affect Gould, who works at Belmore and Channel Nine, along with Gold Coast Titans co-owners Gorden Tallis and Matty Johns, Queensland coach Billy Slater and others affiliated with the media.
Despite the comments made on Monday, Grant remains focused on guiding the Maroons to victory, who are coming off a 44-24 win over the NSW three weeks ago in Melbourne, forcing a decider after the Blues completed a second-half assault and clinched victory in Game 1.
The Maroons will host NSW at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night.
