Queensland captain Billy Slater has addressed reports of broken relationships between the Melbourne Storm's "Big Three" and their partners.
With State of Origin III being played in Brisbane tomorrow night, Slater was forced to respond to claims that a falling-out between his own wife Nicole and teammate Cameron Smith's wife Barbara is responsible for the relationship breakdowns surrounding himself, Smith and former teammate Cooper Cronk.
Widespread reports have blown the lid off superstar Smith's reportedly broken relationships with Slater and Cronk since the Roosters halfback's cold handshake with Smith in Adelaide during the last round.
Even before Cronk's apparent refusal to hug it out with Smith on the Adelaide Oval, reports emerged of a rift between Slater and Smith where it was indicated Slater was at a loss to understand why his captain was freezing him out.
The real depth of the sad falling out was revealed in a Sydney Morning Herald story on Sunday which reported Barb Smith and Nicole Slater fell out during the 2017 season before they all went into camp during the World Cup, which included a retreat at a Fijian resort with all the Kangaroos players' partners and children.
