Reed ready to lead in the Bulldogs' hour of need

Just six games into his new job as Bulldogs co-captain, Reed Mahoney is embracing the challenge of filling the leadership void left by the injuries to Josh Addo-Carr and Viliame Kikau.

The Kangaroos flyer and Fijian enforcer face extended periods on the sideline and in their absence it’s 24-year-old Mahoney and 23-year-old Matt Burton who will look to lift the club’s spirits after a demoralising 50-16 loss to the Rabbitohs.

In his sixth season in the NRL and with a century of games already to his name, Mahoney is quickly finding his voice and his running game as part of a new-look Canterbury side looking to break a six-year finals drought.

Joining the club in 2023 after 101 matches in the blue and gold of Parramatta, Mahoney was made on-field captain along with Burton, part of a six-man leadership group that also includes Raymond Faitala-Mariner and Max King.

When coach Cameron Ciraldo first floated the idea of the hooker stepping up, Mahoney admitted it took some time for him to feel comfortable in the role, but speaking ahead of Sunday’s showdown with his former club it’s clear he is revelling in it.

“I feel like I’ve probably grown up a little bit, there’s definitely a lot more responsibility on me,” Mahoney told the media on Tuesday.

“I’m really enjoying the role at the moment and I’m getting some great help from Burto and Kiks so I’m not in this on my own, but I’m really loving my role here at the club.

“It doesn’t change my footy too much but off the field it has definitely helped me as a person.

“From the first day here in pre-season it felt like I was in the right place so I’m super proud to be here and be a Bulldog.”

Having made a solid 3-2 start to the season heading into the traditional Good Friday clash, the Bulldogs were given a harsh reality check as 30 missed tackles and 10 errors gave them no chance against a rampant Rabbitohs outfit.

With Addo-Carr needing ankle surgery after that game and Kikau rupturing a pectoral muscle at training on Tuesday, Mahoney knows they face a huge task to bounce back against the Eels.

“You have those bad games sometimes but it’s what you do as a leader afterwards that counts,” he said.

“It’s up to the leadership group to make sure the boys are all connected and we learn the lessons and we move on and we be better for it.

“We have to take it upon ourselves and change it really quickly.”

Renowned for his defensive work around the middle of ruck, Mahoney is churning through 46 tackles per game this season, but it’s his attacking game he is keen to showcase against the club he helped into a grand final last year.

In six games as a Bulldog he has produced three try assists and four line break assists while running for 40 metres a game, up from the 31 metres he averaged for the Eels in 2022.

"At Parra there's a lot of boys who are very dominant players and they have their own right to do that, they have international forwards and international halves," he said.

“I have a bit more freedom to take the line on here [at the Bulldogs] and it's something I'm still building and getting right.

“For me I have run the ball a bit more here but I’m still building my attacking game.

"I'm still balancing when to run and not to run – it’s all part of the journey.”