Billy Slater's infamous Manchester nightclub punch is set to be investigated by the NRL Integrity Unit - with claims a woman was knocked to the ground by another Australian player only minutes earlier.
The Sunday Telegraph (Australia) can reveal a group of Kangaroos - including Slater - have been linked to an alleged altercation just minutes before the Test fullback struck a man outside The Mojo nightclub. The complainant is a 40-year-old Manchester businessman who alleges he was the one caught on CCTV footage, since replayed by Channel Seven, "cuffing" Slater before getting punched himself.
Australian team management previously insisted Slater was simply returning to Mojos for a jacket when "king hit" by a local who mistook him for a queue jumper.
CCTV footage of the incident later showed the man pushed Slater with an open hand. Slater's manager, George Mimis, yesterday said he had heard nothing of the claims.
The Sunday Telegraph (Australia) this week tracked down the Manchester couple, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, plus a third female eyewitness. The trio strenuously denied suggestions their complaint was payback for Slater's heavy-handed response to being assaulted. They also provided log numbers for two calls made to Manchester police at 1.41am and 1.44am, claiming both were during the initial incident.
A police spokesman said, however, a timeline between those calls and the Slater incident was impossible to determine. Initial complaints to the police by both women have also since been withdrawn.
