Paul Gallen claims there in no bad blood between him and long-time State of Origin foe Cameron Smith, as the interstate skippers face off again in the NRL grand final between Cronulla and Melbourne.
As NSW and Queensland captains, Gallen and Smith have played against each other for the better part of a decade in the interstate arena.
The pair's relationship appeared to hit a low in the aftermath of Queensland's Origin series win this year when the Blues, led by Gallen, were accused of snubbing the Maroons' victory ceremony after game three.
A war of words between the camps escalated in the days after NSW's win in the final game that prevented a Queensland clean sweep.
But ahead of Sunday's grand final between Gallen's Sharks and Smith's Melbourne, Gallen said there was no ill-feeling between the pair.
"I never had a beef with him," Gallen said on Tuesday.
"My feelings never got hurt. I spoke to him on the phone and he didn't seem to have too much of an issue with it.
"We spoke probably three or four days after Origin III and I have no issue with Cameron personally."
Some are billing the grand final as State of Origin IV, but Gallen dismissed that.
"This is not Origin," he said.
"It is club football, it is a grand final. That is all I am worried about."
"Cameron is a great player, but this has nothing to do with Origin.
"I know it has been built up like that but this is club footy, this is the Sharks and the Storm."
