The Canterbury Bulldogs have reportedly given hooker Reed Mahoney permission to negotiate his future away from the club, despite having a year to run on his deal.

The hooker is due to be off-contract at the end of 2026, but Fox Sports are reporting he has been given permission to leave at the end of the season if he can find a new deal elsewhere.

Phil Gould - the club's director of football - granted permission to negotiate in writing last week, with the proviso the Bulldogs be kept in the loop of any offers on the table.

It comes after a News Corp report over the weekend that head coach Cameron Ciraldo is reportedly weighing up dropping Reed Mahoney from first-grade once he has a full side back on the park at the end of the State of Origin window.

Mahoney has had issues with his discipline during his time at the Bulldogs, giving away costly penalties and struggling to control his temper at times.

While he has been part of the spine that has piloted the Bulldogs to the top of the ladder during the first half of the year, Canterbury's intensity, particularly early in games, has been misguided in recent times, and they have been struggling to start games well.

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That all may come to a head at the end of the Origin window, with the report suggesting that Mahoney could be in line for a stint in reserve grade, with utility Bailey Hayward to start in his place.

Hayward is reportedly seen as the club's future number nine.

There isn't much Hayward hasn't been able to do for the Bulldogs this year, spending time at lock, hooker and in the halves, and turning himself into one of the club's most consistent - and important - players.

The two-time Scotland representative who is on contract with Canterbury until at least the end of the 2026 NRL season could yet be in line to play other roles for the Bulldogs next year, depending on which way Cameron Ciraldo decides to go with his halves combination.

But for now, dummy half could be the 24-year-old's calling, with his defence being rock solid, and his attacking play when slotting in at dummy half being more than up to scratch.

Canterbury, under salary cap pressure, will not want to pay Mahoney the reported $625,000 per year that he is currently earning if he is to be dropped to reserve grade, and with a shortage of dummy halves around the competition, there would be a list of suitors for his services.

That list would likely be led by the North Queensland Cowboys, who are yet to secure a replacement for Reece Robson as he prepares to join the Sydney Roosters from the start of the 2026 campaign.