Willie Mason

This article is about the rugby league player. For the singer-songwriter, see Willy Mason.

Willie Mason

File:Mason2.jpg
Personal information
Full name	William Marshall Mason
Height	194 cm (6 ft 4 in)
Weight	115 kg (18 st 2 lb)
Playing information
Position	Second-row, Prop
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 2000–07 Bulldogs 148 36 0 0 144 2008–09 Sydney Roosters 40 8 0 0 32 2010– Harlequins RL 0 0 0 0 0 Total 188 44 0 0 176 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 2000 Tonga 3 0 0 0 0 2002–08 Australia 24 7 0 0 28 2003–04 Country Origin 2 0 0 0 0 2003–08 New South Wales 13 1 0 0 4
Source: NRL Stats As of 18:15, 8 September 2008 (UTC)

William Marshall Mason (born 15 April 1980 in Auckland, New Zealand) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League. An Australia and Tonga international and New South Wales State of Origin representative forward, he previously played for the Bulldogs, with whom he won the 2004 NRL Premiership and Clive Churchill Medal.

Club career

Willie Mason grew up in Toronto, New South Wales and played junior rugby league for the Toronto (Macquarie) Scorpions in the Newcastle Knights junior competition.[8]

Canterbury Bulldogs

Mason joined the Canterbury Bulldogs at 19 years of age in 1998 and played in the junior U-18 Jersey Flegg competition. After a year with the club Mason was again a regular member of the Flegg team in 1999 but unfortunately suffered a leg fracture in the game before the Bulldogs' Flegg Grand Final win. The following year, Mason moved into the NSWRL Premier League and mid-season received an opportunity to make his debut in the National Rugby League following an injury to first-grader Darren Britt. Mason made his debut on the 30th of April during the 2000 season against the Penrith Panthers. He impressed early and became a regular member of the NRL team for the rest of the season.

Mason cemented a starting position at the Dogs during the 2001 season but was involved in the 2002 Bulldogs salary cap dramas. In mid-2002, the Bulldogs were found guilty of serious and systemic breaches of the salary cap. The club was stripped of all 37 competition points. The latter action was particularly harmful, as the club were poised to take the Minor Premiership and had won 17 consecutive matches (the second highest in Australian club rugby league history at the time). Mason therefore missed out on the opportunity to take a Minor-Premiership and quite realistically a shot at the 2002 Grand Final. On a positive note during the year Mason was selected to make his debut for Australia. Since then Mason has played a total of 29 Tests for his country and is the Bulldogs' most-capped Test Player.

In 2003 Mason's consistent performance was rewarded as he made his debut for New South Wales in Game 3 of the 2003 State of Origin Series. The following year the Dogs reached the 2004 Grand Final and Willie Mason experienced Grand Final glory as the Dogs triumphed 16-13 over the Sydney Roosters. Mason was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal for Man of the Match.

Mason suffered a fractured ankle during Australia's 36-24 win over USA in an international rugby league friendly match at Philadelphia's Franklin Field in December 2004. Mason was out of action during the first half of the 2005 season and did not play in the NRL until Round 18 where the Bulldogs were experiencing a Grand-Final hangover and already stuck in the bottom-eight of the competition.

In 2006, Willie returned to become a regular member of the Bulldogs team where he managed to play 20 club matches, all three Origin games for NSW - in which he was named Man of the Match in the opening game and three Tests for Australia in the Tri-Nations series. He was a firm figure in the clubs return to finals football as the Bulldogs finished second on the ladder, the Dogs were beaten by eventual Premiers the Brisbane Broncos one game shy of the Grand Final.

In 2007, Mason was selected for all three Origin games for NSW and represented Australia in the ANZAC Test match.

End of 2007 season

At the conclusion of the 2007 NRL season, the media began reporting that Mason was unhappy at the Bulldogs. On 31 October, 2007 The Daily Telegraph reported that Mason wanted to leave the Bulldogs after an altercation with the club's CEO, Malcolm Noad. A day later it was reported that Mason was to be released from the final two years of his contract after the club rejected his chance to fight in a professional boxing match worth up to $100,000AUD and because the club claimed to be fining Mason $50,000AUD for failure to attend an end of season function, although this was denied by the Bulldogs.

Speculation that Mason was to be released from his contract led to a number of English and Australian clubs confirming they were seeking to sign Mason to a contract for the 2008 season.

Sydney Roosters

After the Roosters were able to release back-rower Ashley Harrison to the Gold Coast Titans and considered releasing other players, the club was able to make an offer for Mason. On 15 November 2007 it was confirmed that Mason had signed a three-year deal with the Eastern Suburbs based club.

Representative career

In late 2000, Mason represented Tonga, the country of origin of his mother, in the Rugby League World Cup played in Great Britain and Ireland.

In 2002, Mason was selected for the Australian team against Great Britain, scoring a try on debut. He has played 17 international matches, including the 2003 Kangaroo Tour, and 2004-5 Tri-Nations tournaments.

Mason was first selected for New South Wales in State of Origin in 2003, and appeared for New South Wales on 11 occasions, winning the man-of-the-match award in the first game in 2006.

Mason was televised appearing to swear during the New Zealand haka, before game 1 of the 2006 Gillette Tri-nations Series. Later in the match Mason suffered a swollen black eye and suspected broken eye socket after a headknock by David Kidwell. [9] Mason explained that his swearing was in response to the traditional Māori dance being performed by Brent Webb, an Indigenous Australian of Torres Strait Islander origin who became a New Zealand citizen.

Mason was banned for one game and fined $5,000 following an altercation with Stuart Fielden during Great Britain's defeat of Australia in November 2006.

In August 2008 Mason was named in both the preliminary 46-man Kangaroos squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup and the Tonga training squad.

He is also eligible to represented the United States national rugby league team and the Samoa national rugby league team.

Playing Future

Interest in Mason is said to be high with a number of high profile rugby union and rugby league clubs chasing Mason's signature, Japanese Rugby Union teams, French Super League team Catalans Dragons and the Queensland Reds are just some of the clubs after Mason. Mason is likely to joing Catalans next year after Gregory Bird recently left the Catalans returning to the NRL with the Gold Coast Titans freeing up money to secure the giant Mason. Welsh super league club, Crusaders are the latest club to show interest in signing Mason. He has been given extended leave from the Roosters to find a new club. He is set to join the Melbourne Storm on a two year deal. There were also some rumours he was going to join the Newcastle Knights late in the year, but the Knights deny any relation to him. The Storm have denied that they have signed Mason.

NFL Prospects

In June 2006, news speculation surfaced that Mason was considering joining the United States' National Football League (NFL), a childhood dream. He was said to be courted by several teams, including the Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers. [10] In July it was confirmed the New York Giants had offered him the opportunity to trial with them after the Rugby League Tri-Nations series finishes in November. [11] However, the Canterbury club had dismissed the deal, and Mason remained with the club beyond 2006. [12]

In December 2006 Mason took part in a trial with the New York Jets, but still maintained he would fulfil his contract with the Bulldogs until the end of the 2009 season. [13] Mason said "I'm probably at the time in my career now where maybe it is time for a change. New York City is the capital of the world. I'm pretty sure I could settle in there if given the opportunity,..."[14]. However a Jets representative stated that Mason even being offered a contract was very unlikely, "I don't think they were even football drills, it was more of a visit. We just had a look at him and that is where we left it." The Jets coach Eric Mangini was impressed with Mason, saying "Willie is a guy that came to our attention, he is a pretty good rugby player, and it was just one of those opportunities we had, where we have to take a look at him. What we're doing is taking a look at him, seeing what potential there is for him. He seems to have been a pretty dynamic guy in that league for a long time. He seemed relatively feisty when I spoke to him."

The Bulldogs never anticipated any move, saying "Willie has given us his guarantee he will be with us." [15]

Controversy

Willie Mason has been associated with many controversial off-field incidents which have received media publicity due to his high-profile in the National Rugby League.

• In 2002, Mason is reported to have run from a taxi to avoid paying the fare.
• In 2003, he tested positive to an illicit social drug, reported to be an amphetamine, and was fined $25,000 by his club. Mason has never commented on the issue publicly.
• In 2004, Mason along with Trent Waterhouse, Craig Wing, Craig Gower and Mark O'Meley, were fined for unprofessional behaviour and for leaving the team hotel after the side had returned from the night out. Mason forged another player's signature at an autograph event, and after a heavy drinking session with team mates, reportedly visited a brothel.

• At Sydney Airport in 2007, Mason verbally challenged a female reporter from radio station 2GB, resulting in a complaint from 2GB to the Bulldogs club and the ARL Mason later admitted to the outburst, which was captured on audio recordings, and apologised to 2GB journalist Michelle Keighran. Mason is sponsored by sportswear manufacturer, Champion, which almost severed its contract with the controversial footballer as a result of the incident.

• Also in 2007, Mason was involved in a nightclub altercation with the out-spoken Richie Williams, who Mason claimed shows no respect to the older players in the NRL and is a cocky kid who has yet to prove himself in the NRL. Mason was voted the most hated player by a fans poll in 2007.

• In February 2008 Mason and his new Roosters team-mate Anthony Tupou were charged with urinating in a public place during a visit to Port Macquarie.
• In May 2009 Mason was fined $2000 by Sydney Roosters after being photographed urinating in a public place.

Personal

Mason is of Tongan, Samoan and African American descent. He was born in New Zealand and grew up in Australia. He has a younger brother named Rodney who also plays rugby league with the Necastle Knights Under 20's.

External links

• 2008 interview from Ralph magazine
• Sydney Roosters profile
• Willie Mason NRL Player Profile
• State of Origin Official website Rugby League Player Stats
• Article at smh.com.au
• Mason cleared of wrist surgery