Reed Mahoney’s brutal rollercoaster week in Eels’ Knights demolition

Parramatta Eels hooker Reed Mahoney has had one of the craziest weeks possible, starting in Maroons camp and ending with a bitter blow.

The Eels won big in Newcastle.

The Parramatta Eels have demolished the Newcastle Knights 40-4 to end a two-game losing streak but it’s seemingly come at a major cost with hooker Reed Mahoney suffering a shoulder injury.

It’s been a week of highs and lows for Mahoney after he was named in the Queensland Origin squad on Monday with the popular belief — including from Cameron Smith that he would be the starting hooker.

But the following day it was revealed that Mahoney would be dropped from the squad after incumbent hooker Harry Grant passing fitness tests with flying colours, despite having been out for several weeks with a hamstring injury.

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It allowed Mahoney to return for the Eels but he left the ground with 13 minutes remaining.

It came after he was flattened late and in the back with an incident that saw Knights forward Sauaso Sue being sin binned for the incident.

Of the ensuing penalty, the Eels were attacking the line when Mahoney lost the ball after an offload got too big for him, leaving Mahoney in the backplay with a shoulder injury.

A brutal blow has ended a rollercoaster of a week for Reed Mahoney.

Warren Smith said it was “a classic pectoral motion”.

“This could be serious for both Brad Arthur and Paul Green,” he added.

Mahoney might be in a bit of trouble here 😬

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Mahoney waved over the trainer immediately.

“Lots of energy this kid doesn’t he, it’s a shame if that’s happened to him,” Steve roach added. “Wholehearted every week, week in week out, gets himself in position to play his first Origin and then gets pulled out because Harry Grant’s ready.”

Given Parramatta's depth chart or lack thereof, a Reed Mahoney pec blow probably the worst possible injury for their season. Real shame, he's been so, so good this year. #NRLKnightsEels

— Scott Bailey (@ScottBaileyAAP) June 6, 2021

@nrlphysio pec injury for Mahoney? Looked like a classic mechanism.

— Mark Gottlieb (@MarkGottlieb) June 6, 2021

On Sunday Night with Matty Johns, he revealed that it was a shoulder injury.

Coach Arthur said that Mahoney “sublexed his shoulder” and was looking at “a couple of weeks” on the sidelines, pending scans.

The NRL Physio Twitter account said it was a concerning blow.

“Nasty injury mechanism for Reed Mahoney, whilst a classic for pec rupture also very typical for shoulder subluxation/dislocation. Report from the sideline of ‘shoulder injury’, pec does attach into front of shoulder but would actually hope for a shoulder subluxation/dislocation,” he wrote.

He added later that most players with the injury are “able to return within 2-4 wks with rehab. Even if scans reveal structural damage surgery can often be delayed til offseason”.

It could be a more brutal blow as Mahoney could have been an option later in the Origin series despite being released from the first game squad.

The moment that the injury happened.

On the Knights’ Old Boys’ Day – marking 20 years since beating Parramatta in the 2001 Grand Final, one of the great grand final upsets – the Eels ruined the party with a clinical performance which solidified their position in the top four.

It was also an indication the consecutive losses were more a blip than something more terminal, even allowing for Newcastle’s bumbling effort.

The home side was missing a host of frontline players but it was still a disappointingly flat and disjointed effort on a special day for the club.

Parramatta scored five tries in the first half and a further three in the second half.

Eels winger Maika Sivo helped himself to a double, passing 50 NRL tries in the process as he continues to close the gap on fellow Fijian steamroller Semi Radradra (82 tries in 94 games).

— with Adam Lucius, NCA NewsWire