Parramatta to play it safe with Mahoney as season drifts away

Parramatta coach Brad Arthur says Reed Mahoney’s long-term future is their only priority even if it comes at the cost of short-term success

Parramatta won’t be taking any chances with Reed Mahoney as they look to protect his future. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Parramatta coach Brad Arthur has confirmed that Reed Mahoney will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery as he prioritises the hooker’s long-term future over the pursuit of short-term success and job security.

Mahoney aggravated a shoulder problem in the Eels’ loss to the South Sydney Rabbitohs on Friday night and while the club could roll the dice and try to nurse him through the remainder of the season, Arthur conceded that was not necessarily in the best interests of Mahoney’s career.

“I have to worry about him,” Arthur said.

“He has a big future ahead of him. The advice is we might be able to (nurse him through) but it is a risk and he mightn’t even be fit for the finals.

“There is no guarantee he is going to come back and be right. Doctors … were really honest with me and said if you want to do what is best for the kid, (surgery) is best for him.

“He would be more than happy to go and rehab it and play. The advice is we are not doing him any favours by doing that. We have to do what is best for him.

“He has a long future ahead of him. It was a risk the first time round and we got through three or four games. It is pretty unfair to do that to him again.”

Mahoney’s absence comes as the Eels reel from successive defeats and a loss at the hands of Manly on Saturday night would send them tumbling out of the top four.

That would heap even more pressure on Arthur, whose position at the helm of the club has come under scrutiny in recent weeks.

Club officials came out in support of Arthur at the weekend – he has one year left on his deal – and he insists his only concern is helping his players rediscover mojo.

“I am not worried about me,” said Arthur, now in his eighth season at the helm of the club.

“I am worried about the team and the club. I just want to win. I want the boys to win. I want the boys to be happy.

“My job will take care of itself, their job will take of itself. I have never, ever once talked to any player in the club about my position here.

“They need to play footy – that is what they are paid to do. Don’t worry about my job or their job. I have never made it about me and I never will.

“It can change really quickly. We just have to find a good 80 minutes. The last two weeks our defence hasn’t been great, which it had been all year.

“That disappoints me.”

Mahoney’s injury opens the door for Joey Lussick to have an extended stint in first grade at a pivotal point in the Eels’ season.

Parramatta have been entrenched in the top four all season but they are suddenly vulnerable only a month before the finals.

“What it does is it creates an opportunity for Joey Lussick, who has been one of our best trainers since we have been away,” Arthur said.

“He has been up here training really good and the guys who aren’t training, he has kept the spirits up, he has organised FIFA tournaments. He will bring something to the table.

“This game is a big one because Manly are right on our heels. We all have some tough games coming up. It is just being able to walk off the field knowing we have played well – that has to be the priority at the moment.
“Everyone is disappointed. We got used to and we liked winning. Nobody likes losing. We don’t want to get used to that. Everyone is disappointed and frustrated. I would be disappointed if they weren’t.

“We leave too many opportunities or tries on the field. That is probably the biggest thing for me. I know we haven’t played well the last couple of weeks but we have time to turn it around.”