Accor Stadium: Bulldogs star Reed Mahoney was involved in an ugly melee for a second straight game as tensions boiled over in a spiteful clash with Wests Tigers on Saturday afternoon.
Canterbury fought back from an eight-point deficit at half-time to win 22-14 against the Tigers, who finished the game with two players in the sin bin.
Mahoney was headbutted late in the game by Tigers forward Alex Seyfarth, who was engaged in a push and shove with Viliame Kikau. Kikau had taken issue with Seyfarth trying to put a shot on Jacob Kiraz, and Mahoney charged in moments later.
A fortnight ago, Mahoney was binned for niggling Newcastle’s Jack Hetherington, who later told News Corp papers: “I hate a little smart arse who runs in like he [Mahoney] does.”
Mahoney played down Saturday’s incident, and said it may have been a case of “big-man syndrome” from Seyfarth.
Reed Mahoney clashes with Alex Seyfarth.Credit: Getty
“I didn’t see it coming,” Mahoney said. “The Tigers were running in, I was running in, I don’t have any words ... I was doing what everyone else would do, which is run in and protect our mate.
“I’m playing the footy I’ve been playing the last five years. 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.”
Tigers prop David Klemmer was also binned for dissent.
Coach Benji Marshall was unimpressed with both players’ discipline, along with several senior stars who lost their cool the longer the game went on.
Alex Seyfarth was sin-binned for this headbutt on Reed Mahoney.Credit: Nine
“It’s simple, you need to have discipline,” Marshall said. “[We] were eight points down and still a chance in the game. To lose two players and play with 11 men for the last seven or eight minutes – that’s not us.
“We had a lot of calls that went against us, that frustrated us a bit. That build-up took its toll in the end. We had three captain’s challenges that we ended up winning.
“[But] it’s first-grade rugby league, whether you’re young or old, you still need to be disciplined. Those two things to get sin-binned were both silly.”
The bad blood started around the 53rd minute, when Aidan Sezer was not sin-binned for a hip-drop tackle on Josh Curran.
Sezer apologised to Curran immediately, and avoided being given a 10-minute timeout. Bulldogs players – and thousands of fans inside Accor Stadium – were stunned no action was taken by the bunker.
“That’s a sin bin every day of the week,” Mick Ennis said on TV commentary.
Marshall, however, said: “He didn’t get sin-binned, so maybe he’s not [in trouble]. Usually, they get sin-binned if they’re pretty bad from the bunker. Who knows.”
Canterbury trailed 14-6 at the break and did well to fight back. Kikau was excellent, while Matt Burton got better the longer the game went on.
The Tigers scored first through some lovely work from Jahream Bula, who sent Brent Naden racing downfield, before throwing the final pass for Charlie Staines to score.
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Api Koroisau was a late scratching because of an ongoing back issue – he could not run on Friday, and is no guarantee to return next week – while his replacement Jake Simpkin set up Fonua Pole for the Tigers’ second try.
Canterbury had plenty of possession and field position early in the second half, and the Tigers eventually caved.
The Dogs will need to lift again on Friday when they host premiers Penrith, while the Tigers need to work out how to score points when they travel to Tamworth to face the Knights.
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