Former Queensland Maroons captain Cameron Smith has claimed any suggestion that key Maroons players dislike for Daly Cherry-Evans kept him out of the team as "an absolute myth".

There have been numerous stories outlining the reasoning for Cherry-Evans' omission from the team in 2016 and 2017. The most popular being that the senior playing group didn't get along with the Manly Sea Eagles halfback.

In a 2018 article for the Sydney Morning Herald, Andrew Webster stated "Some Queensland players in the past haven't liked Cherry-Evans. It's a fact."

The Melbourne Storm Great wasn't having it.

DOWNLOAD NOW: Zero Tackle 2022 NRL Season Guide

โ€œIโ€™m going to knock that one on the head right now, that is a myth, an absolute myth,โ€ Smith told SEN Radio.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 28: Cameron Smith of the Storm reacts during the NRL Preliminary Final match between the Sydney Roosters and the Melbourne Storm at the Sydney Cricket Ground on September 28, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

Host of The Captain's Run alongside Denan Kemp on SEN 1170, Cameron Smith snuffed out any smoke surrounding the rumour.

โ€œItโ€™s a great storyline, isnโ€™t it?" Smith asked.

โ€œBut Iโ€™ll quickly debunk that right now and say that is a myth.

"At no stage throughout that period of time when DCE wasnโ€™t a part of that Queensland side was because of senior players saying that they didnโ€™t want him in the team or didnโ€™t like him. At no stage at all.โ€

Smith went on to describe the impact of the rumours.

โ€œIt was very annoying and a little upsetting to be honest for us to read those comments saying that we didnโ€™t like Daly at all and we didnโ€™t want him in the team,โ€ he said.

Smith claimed the decision to leave him out of the squad was purely roster based.

โ€œIt was just at that point I donโ€™t think the dynamic or the make-up of the team suited having Daly in the team at that stage," he said.

GOSFORD, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 09: Daly Cherry-Evans celebrates his field goal and the win with team mates during the round five NRL match between the New Zealand Warriors and the Manly Sea Eagles at Central Coast Stadium, on April 09, 2021, in Gosford, Australia. (Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)

โ€œWhen he played for Queensland, some of the matches he played he was being asked to play in the middle at times, to come in and play as sort of a floating No.13, which he didnโ€™t play at all his entire career.

โ€œI will say one thing, he was very accommodating and very willing to take on that role, which was asked of him. But I think what was decided that was to build the strongest 17, which suited our style of play and game plan, someone else filled that role."

Since 2017 Cherry-Evans has featured in every State of Origin series, captaining the side in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

DOWNLOAD NOW: Zero Tackle 2022 NRL Season Guide