Reed Mahoney to join North Queensland Cowboys on three-year deal

Reed Mahoney is set to join the North Queensland Cowboys, a move which comes despite Canterbury supremo Gus Gould promising that the club was not ‘shopping’ their hooker.

Canterbury have lost their second starting spine member this week after former captain Reed Mahoney agreed to a long-term deal with North Queensland.

Mahoney will join the Cowboys for at least the next three seasons from next year after the Bulldogs agreed to release him 12 months early from his deal.

Canterbury had given Mahoney permission to talk with rival clubs earlier this year in what is now a significant shake-up to the ladder leader’s key positions.

He joins halfback Toby Sexton in exiting the club at the end of this year with Sexton joining Super League club Catalans on a two-year contract.

Reed Mahoney will leave the Bulldogs at the end of the season. Picture: NRL PHOTO

Mahoney will be the replacement for Sydney Roosters bound hooker Reece Robson at North Queensland.

The 27-year-old was a marquee signing for Canterbury when he joined the club from Parramatta in 2023. He captained the club in his first season before losing the leadership position to Stephen Crichton last year.

His move is expected to see Bailey Hayward become the starting rake for the Bulldogs next year.

Whilst Mahoney has largely played 80 minutes since his arrival, in recent weeks he has shown his frustrations when taken from the field to accommodate Lachie Galvin’s arrival.

He played 80 minutes during Canterbury’s 22-18 loss to Brisbane on Friday night where coach Cameron Ciraldo changed the structure of his spine. Galvin and Sexton partnered in the halves for the first time with Matt Burton playing centre.

Canterbury’s head of football Phil Gould hit out at suggestions in February that Mahoney was being shopped by the club.

“It’s complete rubbish,” Gould said. “There is absolutely nothing to it. I know Reed’s manager really well, and I’m confident he hasn’t shopped him around.

“I know that no one from our club has shopped him around.”

The Cowboys have been in the market for a hooker since NSW hooker Robson decided to join the Roosters next year. They flirted with Newcastle no.9 Jayden Brailey, Brisbane dummy half Corey Paix and also recently pursued Tallyn Da Silva. But in the background they had never given up the chase to secure Mahoney.