After reading Micheal Searle making a statement in the Gold Coast Bulletin that the Titans won’t be offering Willie Mason a contract, you would have to think that his NRL career is all over.
The bookies had the Titans at five dollars to give Mason another lifeline, but with guys like Greg Bird, Nate Miles and party animal Jamal Idris, it would be suicidal if they added big Willie to the list.
Willie Mason’s career has always been a sideshow, with his antics and constant mouthing off to the media. Is he even worth the hassle these days?
Once considered one of the most devastating runners in the game, it’s hard to swallow that he really is the unwanted man of rugby league.
Hull didn’t want him, and Toulon gave him a go hoping to turn him into another Sonny Bill Williams, but realising in the end they made a big mistake. They then discarded him like a piece of meat.
It’s hard to see Willie getting another shot in the toughest competion in the world.
Even when Willie was at his best with the Bulldogs, remember that he played in a stacked up team with guys like Roy Asotasi, Steve Price, Sonny Bill, Braith Anasta, Willie Tonga, Nigel Vagana – the list goes on and on and on.
The reality of it is you could have put big Dipper in the team and even he might have looked like a legend.
Mason always relied on the workhorses around him like Price and Asotasi to do the hard yards, and he would sit back waiting for the right moment to do one of his trade mark runs at the little guy.
When the stars of the Bulldogs started looking to other clubs for bigger offers, Big Willie was nowhere to be seen. When the force of the mighty Dogs was spent, he had no qualms about jumping ship to the Roosters.
The problem with Mason is he doesn’t like getting in and doing the dirty work. When it’s time to roll up the sleeves, he would rather hang out on the wing and wait until the rough stuff is over.
When you get that sort of reputation, it’s hard to get rid of, especially when you have a big mouth. I guess he is the NRL’s version of Brendan Fevola.
The only glimmer of hope I see for Willie is if someone like Phil Gould from the Panthers gave Willie a shot. Phil is known to bring the best out of players and could return Willie back to his glory days but I doubt he has the patience.
Or maybe Wayne Bennett, we know what he’s like when it comes to reviving a player’s career. We have seen him time and again bring the older guys back and turn them into the players they once were. But I don’t think Wayne would risk it.
I would love for Willie to come back and prove us all wrong, but whether he has the testicular fortitude is another thing.
luke20
Guest
both games are hard as each other in different way's but u want tough nothing beats mma those guy's are tough Muai thai kick boxers are tough grinding up your knees with a bamboo stick so your shins are hard as rock those guy's are tough as nails.
Hoy
Roar Guru
I was concerned when I read that first line. GC looking at Mason? What happened to their much vaunted "No Dickheads" policy? They took on Bird, now Miles and Idris. Perhaps they have loosened somewhat on their policy...
steve b
Guest
geez guys i played both codes their both a tough day out at the office if your givyng 100 per cent which is tougher buggers me i got smashed in both the hurt was the same their is no difference, you all need to get grip, love watching both,which is tougher is a mute point for those who never played either.As for Willie retirement is good more time for everything else.
soapit
Guest
i disagree. pointing out that someone playing grade does not put them in a rare position to judge the intensity of the nrl, shouldnt need an apology.
soapit
Guest
maybe you should have got up off the ground and tried to make a tackle, it might have seemed more intense if you were up in the line rather than lying around having a rest. maybe it was your team mate kicking you for hiding in a ruck. you're not a winger by any chance are you? i think its beyond the abilities of this site to compare x amount of 5m union runs plus y rucks and mauls to z amount of 10m league runs and conclude which is tougher however for my opinion nrl is more intense than any rugby at this point. an individual rugby match could come to that level but not consistently over 16 teams and a 26 week period. i know some other comps play more games in shorter times but this doesnt really prove anything as the intensity of the nrl would prevent players playing 3 matches in 8 days. we must remember league has been professional for much longer and have a head start in consistent intensity across the game but the intensity in union has gone up the last 5 years so they may catch eventually.
soapit
Guest
fairly simple to conclude when nrl fading stars suddenly get second winds whenever they move to ESL and when you look at the thrashings we dish out to england whenever we play them the strength (toughness) of our home comp is there for all to see.
kovana
Guest
NF.. Im saying the Top 14 club team games are tough. But i am not saying its the tougher than League. Read my posts again please. No where have i stated that i think it is superior to any League competition. Different sport.
soapit
Guest
its tougher than the ESL. i assume he meant rugby league competitions and wasnt comparing it to all competitions such as who wants to be a millionaire.
Onor
Guest
rugby must be getting pretty big in perth... im living in auckland now.. back when i was playing club it had a pretty decent following.. how is the state of the game now?? with the force??
Pete75
Guest
Code wars aside.... Mason has been made an offer by the Wests Tigers. Watch this space...
Nathan of Perth
Guest
PS, also illustrates the importance of local professional teams to provide development pathways and role models :D
Onor
Guest
I played league for the junior reds in W.A. Played state Rugby league. And schoolboy rugby league. Turned my hands to union for our local club team. Cos I got sucked into the christian cullen, shaun fitzpatrick, zinzan brooke, Jonah Lomu faze... Try being at the bottom of a ruck. theres knees to the head. Elbows. Fists. Youre getting stomped on.. theres all sorts of no nonsense BS going on in there.. and then imagine a maul. Both teams forward packs grinding it out. and when it collapses.. your at the bottom of it.. I went into rugby thinking it was for sissies.. but I sure changed my tune after I played my first game. At all costs I tried to avoid rucks, mauls and made sure I never went to ground.. or your sure enough to get stomped on, head butted, kneed in the head... or something else along those lines.. but after my first season.. it all became normal and then rucks and mauls were no different to taking a hit up in league... Dont be mistaken... you have to be tough to play rugby... and I found it harder to play than league. Thats why I stuck with it and I never turned back!!
toddbee
Guest
so jumping for ball,diving on top of a tackled player and ruuning 1 meter into the defence is hard. The only thing i found hard playing union was getting dog shot with a kick while on the ground,buts thats to be expected by cheap shot mearchants. In league i found the toughest part was running the ball and being tackled you're an open target for a shot.
trakl
Guest
He flopped uselessly at Hull Kingston Rovers before moving to rugby union.
King of the Gorgonites
Roar Guru
Good riddance to the goose. Perhaps hsi mate Danny Weilder can give him a job. He couldnt be any worse then Weilder at journalism.
NF
Guest
Also, kovana you being spouting how tough the french rugby comp is so rebuttals from leaguies about the comments you and other rah rahs made are acceptable remember it was a rah rah who started the code war not leaguies.
NF
Guest
Kovana it was a rah rah who bought up this code war in the first place everything is just opinion on this site doesn't mean it true.
kovana
Guest
It is the toughest league comp.
kovana
Guest
If you dont believe playing 38 matches while running, passing, tackling, rucking, mauling, scrummaging and lineouts is not in the least bit tough.. Then you really are a superman. If you also dont think traveling to south Africa to play there, then flying back to Oz or NZ to play another match the following week isnt tough... Again you really are a superman.
kovana
Guest
So.. Rucks, Mauls, Scrums, Lineouts are not counted together with tackles? Again you believe your sport to be the toughest, and thats your opinion.