NRL set to investigate Jack Hetherington and Reed Mahoney tunnel altercation

Two NRL stars are set to come under investigation after cameras caught an ugly altercation unfolding after they were both sent off.

NRL to investigate tunnel altercation

Adam O’Brien was asked about an incident between sin-binned stars Jack Hetherington and Reed Mahoney in the tunnel during the Bulldogs’ 36-12 win over the Knights.

Both players were sin-binned in the second half for a repeated verbal exchange that resulted in a melee, but after they were sent to the sin bin Hetherington confronted Mahoney in the tunnel and had to be dragged away by staff.

“In the game between the Bulldogs and the Knights there was a little bit of a tussle between Jack Hetherington and Reed Mahoney,” Braith Anasta said on Fox League.

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“This is in the tunnel which the NRL are now investigating, which looks a little bit like they are joking, but then serious.”

“When you watch this vision, both of them were in a heated argument on the field,” Corey Parker added.

“The referee was going to leave them on the field. He then opted to send them for 10 in the bin and then we see the footage.

“It is hard to see whether Hetherington is joking. He has got a smile on his face, but well and truly pushes Reed.

“Reed was not real sure what to do. He was shaping up. He was bouncing. I don’t know if they are good mates or not.”

“I don’t think they are Corey,” Anasta replied.

“I know Jack quite well and although he may look like he is geeing up I don’t think he is. I think he is serious.”

Brent Read asked Adam O’Brien about the incident in his press conference.

“There was an incident in the tunnel when Jack Hetherington got sin-binned where he confronted Reed Mahoney,” Read said.

“I don’t know what you have heard about that but apparently he had to be dragged away from Reed Mahoney.

“He came out of the dressing room as Reed Mahoney came off and confronted him when they were both in the sin bin. Are you aware of that?”

“No, nothing, I don’t even know what you are talking about,” O’Brien said.

“There is vision of Jack coming at Reed Mahoney,” Matt Russell said.

“He has come out of the dressing room and he’s confronted him in the tunnel,” Read interjected.

“I don’t know anything about this,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien was pressed on what he made of the double sin-binning.

“I don’t know what they both got sin-binned for?” O’Brien said.

“I was sitting in the box. Was it for carrying on with it verbally?

“I don’t know it is just another example that we are playing frustrated at the moment and this other stuff I don’t know anything about it.”

Adam O'Brien, Jack Hetherington and Reed Mahoney.

O’Brien also gave an update on Kalyn Ponga’s injury, which was a ligament in his foot.

“It is nothing to so with the hip pointer,” O’Brien said.

“It is a ligament in the foot. As far as I know it is pretty rare, so not great signs for us, but I couldn’t tell you exactly what it is, but it is a ligament that goes down under the foot.

“That muscle is pretty rare apparently. I have only had like 30 seconds just to give you guys some sort of information.

“Its not good. You will find out tomorrow when he gets some scans and you will get a decent answer.”

O’Brien was bitterly disappointed with his side’s performance off a 10 day turnaround.

“Yep, me, players, staff, everyone, yeah we’re usually disappointed,” O’Brien said.

“We had a great training. Got the right amount of I guess rest which is what we needed first and foremost and we had a great training run.

“I didn’t foresee any of this. I mean obviously the thing that I could foresee was some missing personnel and we weren’t as familiar with each other on that edge but you know that’s our training week and that can’t be blamed. I didn’t see it coming.”

Originally published as NRL set to investigate Jack Hetherington and Reed Mahoney tunnel altercation