"They pulled out cold on the stupid rumours they heard."
The rumour was baseless and has been rebuffed numerous times by Martin, his former Penrith teammates, and Panthers boss Phil Gould. Gould even issued a second press release lauding Martin's character and making clear the Tokoroa product was held in the highest esteem by the Panthers.
But the Warriors withdrew their offer and after some discussions with Melbourne Storm, Martin eventually agreed to join the Cowboys on a three-year deal.
The Warriors could not be reached for comment.
Making the move north to Townsville was the best decision the one-test Kiwis international could have made.
Initially, he expected to play only a handful of NRL games but a season-ending shoulder injury to Cowboys skipper Johnathan Thurston thrust him into the halves alongside fill-in captain and halfback Michael Morgan.
A two-try performance on debut in the Cowboys' round 17 win over Canberra saw the Tokoroa product make an immediate impact.
Ten matches later, in last week's grand final qualifying win over the Roosters, Martin scorched through to score a brilliant individual try.
He will now look to cap a fairytale end to just his second season of NRL, and help the Cowboys in their tilt for a second premiership win in three years, against the minor premiers Melbourne.
And after making his Kiwis debut in last year's drawn clash with Scotland during the end of year Four Nations campaign, he is now poised to claim a place in New Zealand coach David Kidwell's 24-man World Cup squad.
With Foran ruled out of the tournament with injuries, Martin's dream ride could continue into early December.
