Dirty Dog: Why Reed Mahoney risks being binned for excessive niggling

Canterbury’s chief antagonist Reed Mahoney risks being sent to the sin-bin if he continues to excessively niggle rivals like he did last Friday night with NRL nice guy Nicho Hynes.

Mahoney has gained a reputation as one of the biggest pests in the game, but has explained on more than one occasion he simply wants to stick up for his Bulldogs teammates.

The Dogs and Sharks had to leave the field separately during the break at Accor Stadium after Mahoney got in the face of Hynes for a whole minute.

He later joked during the post-match TV coverage on Nine that the Sharks players were unhappy some of the Bulldogs had moved into the Shire.

After getting involved in a melee with the Wests Tigers this season, Mahoney said: “I go into those scuffles because I’m there to protect my mates. That’s what we’re about here, protecting each other to the death.

“I’m not there to start anything or do anything. I’m there to stand up for my boys. People get big-man syndrome and don’t like little people talking up to them. Maybe that’s their fault, not mine.”

But Mahoney risks being sat down for ten minutes if he crosses the line moving forward, NRL head of elite competitions Graham Annesley said on Monday.

While not referring directly to the Canterbury dummy-half, Annesley said referees had the option to bin players for excessive niggling.

Mahoney has already been binned once earlier this year for antagonising Newcastle’s Jack Hetherington, who told News Limited papers at the time: “I hate a little smart arse who runs in like he does.”

Annesley said there was no crime in a player being annoying, but they did risk being sanctioned if they took things too far.

“The referees have complete control over everything the players do on the field, so if they think a player over-steps the mark, they have the power to take action,” Annesley told this masthead.

“Playing the game aggressively is not in itself against the laws. Referees draw a line in the sand, the players need to know where that line in the sand is.

“Referees don’t target particular players – they respond to incidents, not players. Whether it’s Reed Mahoney or anyone else, referees respond to specific incidents, and whether it requires action on the field, be it a penalty through to a send-off.”

When pressed if excessive niggling was a bad look for the game, Annesley said: “Refs have the power to take action against any player who goes too far. They can bin players for over-aggressive play, even too much talk to another player. But they will never go out and target one player.”

James Maloney, Mick Ennis and even the great Wally Lewis were great nigglers, but also did so in an era when they knew they risked being punched, something that has since been outlawed from the modern game.

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