Penrith Panthers player Jaeman Salmon conceded that Ricky Stuart's now-famous "weak-gutted dog" sledge has followed him from game to game, but that conjecture around the pair's history was misplaced.
As a kid, Salmon played in the same junior team as the Canberra Raiders coach's son, with Stuart's press conference attack followed by claims that he had lost it due to the Panthers player's history with his family.
Speaking for the first time about the fiasco that rocked the NRL, Salmon shed some light on the claims but refused to fully tell his side of the story, revealing that he was considering legal action.
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"It has nothing to do with his autistic daughter," he told reporters at Penrith training on Tuesday.
"I won't comment on what happened."
Stuart was fined $25,000 and banned for a week as a result of the extraordinary tirade.
He later apologised and said that he was speaking as a father, and not as a coach.
"There is a history between Jaeman Salmon and my family that I will not go into. I should not have brought it up after the game, but it just got the better of me," he said.
Salmon steadfastly denied any conjecture of the sort, confirming "there could be some stuff in the works still" in regards to potential legal action.
"It's a strange one. I've never heard the term before, but I won't let it get to me," Salmon said.
"I'm not worried about hearing that term. I'm only focused on the game this week."
While he admitted that rival fans had adopted the sledge in the games since, he wasn't too concerned.
"It has caught on a bit. I've been copping it a bit at games. But I'm not focused on that. I'm only focused on the game this week," he said.
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Salmon has been a mainstay in the Penrith team this season, mainly as a bench option, but also stepping into the starting line-up as a No.6 late in the year.
He now has a chance to be a part of a grand final-winning team, after featuring in just two games in 2021's successful campaign.
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