‘Out of my control’: North Queensland Cowboys recruit Reed Mahoney opens up on Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs exit
North Queensland Cowboys recruit Reed Mahoney has spoken to media for the first time since moving to Townsville, revealing his frustrations about how his time in Sydney came to an end.
Cowboys recruit Reed Mahoney has spoken to media for the first time since moving to North Queensland, revealing his frustrations about how his time in Sydney came to an end.
The 27-year-old hooker has hit the ground running in Townsville, joining pre-season training with a steely determination to prove he is an 80-minute player.
Mahoney fell out of favour at the Bulldogs this year and was unceremoniously relegated to the interchange after starting 97 consecutive NRL matches without missing a game.
He said he was ready to prove Canterbury wrong with his fresh opportunity with the Cowboys.
“I’m an 80-minute player every week. I work extremely hard in the off-season to get myself at peak fitness,” Mahoney said.
“There were some changes at the back end of last (season), but some of those were a bit out of my control.
“That was the coach’s decision, so I had to run with it, and it was about the team at the time. If I can take anything out of that, that motivates me for the years to come and I’m really looking forward to really pushing myself to stay at that level.”
Mahoney has big boots to fill after State of Origin star Reece Robson departed for the Roosters, but he said he wanted to make his own mark on the team.
“Reece has been great for this club for a number of years now, and for someone like that to leave, there are big shoes to fill,” Mahoney said.
“So I’m not going to be here and become Reece Robson, I’m going to come here and be Reed Mahoney.
“That’s working hard, connecting with people and getting the best out of everyone around me, and you go from there.
“I play with passion and I want to win every game, every minute on the field. So if I can bring that, I can definitely help the team in that way.”
BULLDOGS EXIT
For the last three seasons, Mahoney has typified what it means to be a Bulldog.
The nuggety hooker is as tough as teak, and he plays with an edge that is almost impossible to coach.
Detractors will throw words like “grub” and “pest” around, but the reality is Mahoney is the type of player that teammates love to run out with and opponents hate to face – no matter what you think of him, Mahoney is clearly an intelligent footballer rather than an aggressive hothead.
Despite the way his time in Canterbury came to an end, Mahoney said he held no bad blood for the club.
“I honestly haven’t even looked at the draw. I’ll be looking forward to playing against them boys, but I haven’t really had too much to think about it at the moment,” he said.
IRONMAN MAHONEY
Mahoney made his NRL debut for Parramatta in 2018, going on to make 101 appearances for the Eels before moving to the Bulldogs where he played 74 games.
Known for his toughness and resilience, the Nambour product has played in almost every game possible since establishing himself in the NRL midway through the 2018 season – barring one shoulder injury in 2021 that sidelined the hooker after 17 games.
Returning from that injury, Mahoney started and wore the No.9 jersey for 96 consecutive games until he was unceremoniously dethroned in round 23 this year when he was relegated to the bench.
However Mahoney kept his run alive from the interchange and wore the No.17 jersey for the rest of the season until he was dropped for the qualifying final against Melbourne, ending his ironman streak at 101 games.
COWBOYS AMBITIONS
Mahoney knows what it feels like to play a preliminary final in front of a heaving Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
He was a key member of Parramatta’s team that broke the hearts of thousands of Cowboys fans in the 2022 finals series, going on to lose the grand final to a young Penrith Panthers side.
Now he is determined to carry North Queensland to the same heights.
Mahoney said he had a number of clubs circling, but settled on the Cowboys because of the quality currently within the squad.
“The group of players that were here, their calibre, and obviously the type of coaches that were here,” Mahoney said.
“They said to me straight away that there was plenty left in me to learn and grow, and that’s what I was looking for.
“I think a change is always nice as well. There’s some great players here that I’m really excited to play with, and some really good young guys coming through as well.
“If I hang my hat on one thing with versing the Cowboys, (it’s that) you’re in for a tough game. So that’s something that definitely grabbed my attention when I had the chat about the move up here.”
Cowboys utility Karl Lawton has been linked with Super League side Hull KR, opening the door for young gun Xavier Kerrisk to stake his claim as the Cowboys’ backup hooker, while Sam McIntyre and Harry Edwards also have the ability to play dummy half.
Mahoney said the teenage development player had impressed him during the pre-season.
“One thing that I like about (Kerrisk) is, my first day he was asking questions. He was doing the little things off the field, passing extras,” he said.
“He’s got a long way to go, but he’s extremely on the right path of working hard and all that, and obviously he can play good footy. He wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t that, so I’ve been really impressed with him.”
Originally published as ‘Out of my control’: North Queensland Cowboys recruit Reed Mahoney opens up on Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs exit
‘Surreal moment’: Sunshine Coast teen earns Aussie team call-up
