DRAGONS star Tyson Frizell has rubbished claims he's ever sought a release from the club after rumours he wanted out of Wollongong lit up social media on Friday.
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The same rumour mill that suggested Angus Chrichton has fallen out of favour at the Roosters, with the club eyeing Frizell as a possible replacement.
It's a suggestion Rooster coach Trent Robinson bristled at in a terse exchange with reporters on Friday, while Dragons coach Paul McGregor also revealed Frizell's manager rang him personally to refute the claims.
"Tyson's manager politely rang me this morning and said it couldn't be further from the truth," McGregor said.
"He said while ever I'm coaching he's here and he's got another year to run on his contract. Me and Tyson have been together for 130 games.
"I've seen him develop into a young man, a father enjoying a good married life, someone who went from being a fringe player to now the most decorated player in our side as an Australian player.
"Our relationship goes way back so, if you're looking for a fight there there's certainly not one between me and him."
Frizell said he was left baffled by the rumours, saying if he had any issues with the club, McGregor would be the first one to know.
"I've got a really good relationship with Mary and if I was unhappy with anything or he knew I was unhappy at the club, he'd be the first one I'd speak to and he knows that," Frizell said.
"It was the first I heard of it when it came out yesterday [on social media]. I haven't had anything from anyone else or been spoken to or asked for a release,
"I don't know if people are trying to shop me around or anything like that but, on my behalf and from my manager, we don't know what's going on and I don't know where those rumours have come from.
"It's not ideal because players end up talking about it. It just comes out at the last minute and you feel like you have to explain to them that these things aren't true.
"There's not much you can do about it. There's just nothing to it."
McGregor's own future remains a hot topic of discussion following the Dragons 40-18 capitulation against the Panthers on Friday night.
It followed an equally disappointing outing against Canberra last weekend, leaving the Dragons sitting 14th on the ladder with plenty of fans calling for McGregor's sacking
Having signed a two-year contract extension earlier this year the axe isn't about the fall but Frizell said the playing group has to take some responsibility for the pressure being heaped on their coach.
"Mary and the staff aren't the ones going out there and performing like that. It's us as players," Frizell said.
"I think all of us are on the line [after] putting in a performance like that. I'm more worried about us and how we keep our spot in the side.
"The coaching staff put so much effort into preparing us each week to get us right so for us, and us only, to go out there and put in a performance like that's not good enough.
"I'm pretty speechless after the performance we dished up. It's not what we expect from one another and for our fans who support us all the way.
"We get paid to play footy, we're professional players and a professional team that isn't going out there and performing."