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Braith Anasta and Paul Crawley have questioned how the Eels could let arguably the second best hooker in the game in reed Mahoney join the Bulldogs in the prime of his career.
Mahoney will link with the Bulldogs on a lucrative three-year deal in 2023 and given his current form Crawley finds it hard to believe the Eels couldn’t find more money for him, given he plays such a crucial position.
“I can’t believe the Eels have let him go,” Crawley said on NRL 360.
You look at how hard Melbourne fought to keep Harry Grant when the Dolphins came charging for him.
When Mahoney went past Andrew McCullough the other night, McCullough looked like he was standing still, which is a real problem for the Dragons.
“Mahoney pulled off a 40/20. He backs up. He never stops thinking out there.
“He is up there in the class of Harry Grant I believe now and also Damien Cook among the elite hookers in the game.
“It is incredible that Parramatta haven’t found a way to keep him.”
Anasta agreed Mahoney is the second best rake in the game and questioned whether the Eels should have done more to hold onto his services.
I would probably only have Harry Grant ahead of him at the moment in the No.9 jersey he is playing that well,” Anasta said.
“How did they let him go? I know there was salary cap pressure. He gets a pay increase to go to the Dogs, which is a magnificent buy.
“Could they have kept him?”
In answering Anasta, Paul Kent pointed out that the Eels made re-signing their fullback over their hooker their priority due to salary cap pressure.
Cleary not,” Kent said when asked if the Eels could have kept Mahoney.
“They got Gutherson in the spine and they just had to renegotiate him. Mitch Moses is clearly there and Dylan Brown, who I think is a sensational player.
“They have got four players in the top half dozen for their position.
“The issue for Parramatta is they prioritised.
“Clearly they are happy with this, but they prioritised Gutherson ahead of Mahoney.
“Parramatta have made that decision and they are happy with it.”
On the flip side Crawley believes Mahoney could go down as one of the Bulldogs’ most important signings in their history.
“This guy only has Harry Grant ahead of him and you put him as No.2 hooker in the game,” Crawley said.
“In that respect for the Bulldogs, while they are going through a really tough time at the moment. Next year Burton is going to have this bloke beside him. He is going to have Kikau there.
“It could be one of the great signings in Canterbury’s history.”
The Daily Telegraph’s Dave Riccio backed up Kent in pointing out that the Eels had six stars coming off-contract and there was no way they could have kept all of them.
“In fairness to Parramatta you can’t keep them all,” Riccio said.
“They had to keep Junior Paulo. They have got Gutherson, Moses and Brown. Reagan Campbell-Gillard on big money.”
However, Anasta was quick to note that the premiership winning teams of the modern era all have class out of dummyhalf in common.
“If you look at the teams that win the competition these days it is very critical that you have a high quality No.9,” Anasta said.
Mahoney will link with the Bulldogs on a lucrative three-year deal in 2023 and given his current form Crawley finds it hard to believe the Eels couldn’t find more money for him, given he plays such a crucial position.
“I can’t believe the Eels have let him go,” Crawley said on NRL 360.
You look at how hard Melbourne fought to keep Harry Grant when the Dolphins came charging for him.
When Mahoney went past Andrew McCullough the other night, McCullough looked like he was standing still, which is a real problem for the Dragons.
“Mahoney pulled off a 40/20. He backs up. He never stops thinking out there.
“He is up there in the class of Harry Grant I believe now and also Damien Cook among the elite hookers in the game.
“It is incredible that Parramatta haven’t found a way to keep him.”
Anasta agreed Mahoney is the second best rake in the game and questioned whether the Eels should have done more to hold onto his services.
I would probably only have Harry Grant ahead of him at the moment in the No.9 jersey he is playing that well,” Anasta said.
“How did they let him go? I know there was salary cap pressure. He gets a pay increase to go to the Dogs, which is a magnificent buy.
“Could they have kept him?”
In answering Anasta, Paul Kent pointed out that the Eels made re-signing their fullback over their hooker their priority due to salary cap pressure.
Cleary not,” Kent said when asked if the Eels could have kept Mahoney.
“They got Gutherson in the spine and they just had to renegotiate him. Mitch Moses is clearly there and Dylan Brown, who I think is a sensational player.
“They have got four players in the top half dozen for their position.
“The issue for Parramatta is they prioritised.
“Clearly they are happy with this, but they prioritised Gutherson ahead of Mahoney.
“Parramatta have made that decision and they are happy with it.”
On the flip side Crawley believes Mahoney could go down as one of the Bulldogs’ most important signings in their history.
“This guy only has Harry Grant ahead of him and you put him as No.2 hooker in the game,” Crawley said.
“In that respect for the Bulldogs, while they are going through a really tough time at the moment. Next year Burton is going to have this bloke beside him. He is going to have Kikau there.
“It could be one of the great signings in Canterbury’s history.”
The Daily Telegraph’s Dave Riccio backed up Kent in pointing out that the Eels had six stars coming off-contract and there was no way they could have kept all of them.
“In fairness to Parramatta you can’t keep them all,” Riccio said.
“They had to keep Junior Paulo. They have got Gutherson, Moses and Brown. Reagan Campbell-Gillard on big money.”
However, Anasta was quick to note that the premiership winning teams of the modern era all have class out of dummyhalf in common.
“If you look at the teams that win the competition these days it is very critical that you have a high quality No.9,” Anasta said.
