Former Cowboy Ethan Lowe denies he’s the source of Paul Green rumours

Rabbitohs recruit Ethan Lowe has emphatically denied suggestions he is the mystery player responsible for 'white-anting' North Queensland coach Paul Green.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MAY 02: Ethan Lowe of the Rabbitohs is tackled during the round eight NRL match between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Brisbane Broncos at ANZ Stadium on May 02, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

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Rabbitohs recruit Ethan Lowe has emphatically denied suggestions he is the mystery player responsible for 'white-anting' North Queensland coach Paul Green, saying: "Maybe he should look closer to home".

Set to face his old club for the first time in ‘Magic Round’, Lowe has been forced to defend against claims of trying to drive a wedge between the Cowboys playing group — of which he was a member until February — and the coach who punted him to reserves last year.

While Townsville officials remain convinced a disgruntled ex-player is behind media reports suggesting Green is losing the dressing room, the forward who starred in the club’s 2015 NRL premiership side insists it isn't him.

Better, Lowe will now square off against the club he stands accused of trying to destabilise next Sunday, when his Bunnies face North Queensland in the final game of 'Magic Round'.

Quizzed on rumours he was the source informing journalists that Green had lost the dressing room, the tattooed 28-year-old said: "I know what I've said to people — and I haven't said anything like that.

"I don't know where it's come from.

"If he (Green) thinks it's me then he has my phone number, he can give me a call.

"But I think he should probably look closer to home.

"I haven't been there for four months. I don't really know what's going on."

Apart from being one of the Cowboys most loyal servants in recent years, Lowe also pointed out that similar claims about Green had been aired in previous seasons "when I was still up there".

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"But given I'm the last person to leave the club, of course they're going to blame me," he continued. "Yet there are a lot of blokes that have left that club on not great terms.

"So there are a lot of people you could look at.

"But I haven't said anything to you, or any of the media. I don't know where it's come from but … yeah, maybe he (Green) should look closer to home rather than blame people who aren't there. But that's up to him."

Last Sunday, media reports first emerged suggesting Green was in danger of "losing the dressing room" after the Cowboys dropped to five losses from seven games.

Lowe played in two grand finals for North Queensland. Picture by Brett Costello.

Two days later, The Daily Telegraph reported Green had not only called a meeting with his leadership group to discuss the issue of a potential player revolt, but that Townsville officials believed a former player was spreading the misinformation.

And from there … well, people started working backwards from those who had left.

Yet now part of a Bunnies side that has won seven of its opening eight games, Lowe insisted there was no animosity over his departure.

Instead, the forward was convinced he wouldn’t get much game time in a pack that boasted backrowers like Gavin Cooper, Josh McGuire and Coen Hess.

"The Rabbitohs came to me and said they had an opportunity," Lowe explained. "I thought it was a better opportunity for me and my partner and so I went and asked them (Cowboys) for a release.

Lowe joined South Sydney this year. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images.

"Realistically, I wasn't expecting to play a lot of NRL.

"So when the Rabbitohs came in with an offer for me to play regular first grade, I took that up. I asked for a release and I'm here. So from my end, there were no issues."

Asked if anyone had said he wouldn't play NRL at the Cowboys in 2019, Lowe continued: "I was just going off last year.

"I wasn't playing a lot, was in and out of the side.

"So that was the feeling.

"When I asked for the release they wanted me to stay there.

"They were happy with me and said I was in their plans. But I thought Souths was a better opportunity so I took it."

Originally published as Former Cowboy Ethan Lowe denies he’s the source of Paul Green rumours