LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
In the 2024 NRL season, Reed Mahoney has swiftly risen to infamy as one of the most reviled players in the league, assuming the role once occupied by Michael Ennis at the Bulldogs.
This hooker has made it his personal mission to antagonize his opponents and be a perpetual nuisance on the field.
During a match against the Knights, Mahoney managed to provoke Newcastle enforcer Jack Hetherington into a sin bin penalty before engaging in a heated altercation that led to Hetherington being retroactively suspended.
The following weekend against the Tigers, Mahoney found himself on the receiving end of a headbutt from Tigers forward Alex Seyfarth during a scuffle.
After the game, Mahoney was hit with charges of contrary conduct by the match review committee, as well as a separate charge for a dangerous throw against the joint venture team.
The recent incidents have prompted NRL legends Billy Slater and Andrew Johns to advise Mahoney to focus on his game and eliminate the unnecessary antics.
"It has started to seep into his playing style a bit," Slater remarked on Nine's The Billy Slater Podcast, offering Mahoney a stern warning to clean up his act and concentrate on playing footy.