Bulldogs hooker Reed Mahoney has opened up on the reason things at times got heated with the Sharks in their 15-14 golden point win on Friday night.
Matt Burton became an instant hero for the Bulldogs when he slotted the golden point field goal to seal victory, but it was the action at the main break that caught everyone’s attention.
Tempers flared on the sidelines on the stroke of half-time, with renowned niggler Mahoney getting under the skin of Sharks halfback Nicho Hynes as they exchanged words before teammates came in and separated the pair.
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Post match, Nine’s Danika Mason quizzed Mahoney on the fiery moment.
“I think the Cronulla boys were getting upset,” Mahoney said on Nine.
Mahoney brushed off the clash, cheekily declaring that Hynes and the Sharks players were flustered because the Bulldogs players have raided their territory in Cronulla.
“A few of us boys living down there in Cronulla, (they) don’t like us going to their local cafes,” he said.
“It was a bit more personal than that.”
The match started with the Bulldogs on fire, as Viliame Kikau and Reed Mahoney made it 12-0 inside 13 minutes.
Cronulla kept themselves in the game when Briton Nikora opened the scoring for his side with the Bulldogs leading 12-6 at half-time.
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Sione Katoa then put his side in striking distance when he scored in the corner before Nicho Hynes missed the conversion.
The Sharks then hit the lead when Braydon Trindall went over in the 62nd minute. However, Hynes missed the kick again and it was 14-12.
The Bulldogs win puts them fifth on the ladder with an 8-7 record.
“It wasn’t easy to get there,” Mahoney admitted.
“The last four or five weeks, we’ve been really good, but we turned up last week and we weren’t our best.
“Comeback after a bit of a tough loss last week.
“We’re about, just turn up for each other. Nothing was perfect, but we just found a way.”