‘To have the big man say that feels nice’: Reed Mahoney thanks Phil Gould for shutting down reports the Bulldogs wanted to get rid of him

Bulldogs hooker Reed Mahoney was never worried about rumours suggesting the club was looking to move him on to free up salary cap space, but he says it was nice to hear “the big man” Phil Gould come out and shut down the report straight away.

Gould went on radio last month and described the report as “rubbish”, with the former Bulldogs skipper under contract until the end of 2026.

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“All those rumours get shoved around footy all the time, so to have the big man say that feels nice,” Mahoney said.

“I wasn’t worried about it when it came out because I know my place here. I’m just super excited to get out there on Saturday and play my best footy.”

Mahoney will celebrate game number 50 for the club on Saturday night and took umbrage to a story that came out on Tuesday that quoted other people calling him a “little smart arse” based on his ability to niggle and bait opponents.

“It is what it is. He’s probably had that saved on his computer for a few weeks and brings it out (a few days before) game day,” he said.

“I know there’s nothing that I can really do about it. I don’t go out there to play like that – I go out to play with passion and work hard for my teammates.

“I just go out and play my footy and stand up for my mates that I play with. We’re a strong, exciting team and we don’t stand down for anyone, so it’s just how I play my footy.”

Mahoney won just seven games in his first season in blue and white but doubled that figure in 2024 as the Bulldogs ended their finals drought and revived one of the most passionate fan bases in the NRL.

He’ll come up against former Eels teammate Clint Gutherson, who is now a co-captain at the Dragons, but there’ll be no time for pleasantries as the Bulldogs look to build on what they started 12 months ago.

“The first year here was a bit difficult, but last year was one of my favourite times playing in my career with what we built and how we did it,” last year’s leading tackler said.

“The summer we had was based on hard work, so I’m really excited to go out there on Saturday.”