ManlyBacker
Winging it
I know this sort of falls in the who cares category, but I for one (and I know I won't get total support) hope that the NRL refuses to ratify any SBW contract.
Matthew O'Neill rleague.com
Out of form Sydney Roosters forward Willie Mason is set to quit the NRL according to news reports earlier tonight if he can negotiate a release to join a rugby union side in Europe or Japan.
Mason walked out halfway through a four-year deal with the Bulldogs to join the Roosters for the 2008 season on another four-year deal. Mason's time at the Roosters besides a great performance against his former club last year has been troubled highlighted by poor form on the field.
Recently Mason was photographed taking a leak outside an Eastern Suburbs nightclub and earlier in the year was relegated to the Newtown NSW Cup side for breaking the Roosters drinking curfew.
Mason's career has been colourful on and off the field and has been the NRL's walking headline since becoming a prominent playing during the Bulldogs 17-match winning run in 2002.
Throughout his career Mason has been thinking of such overseas fantasies such as playing NFL and entering Boxing ring, but this episode of escaping to Europe or Japan seems to be most genuine.
Mason is believed to have fallen out with Roosters coach Brad Fittler this year and previously Mason took aim at Steve Folkes, who was his only coach during his 148 first grade games for the Bulldogs.
The Roosters have struggled to perform this year and have been let down badly by many of their over-priced imports with the Bondi based club prepared to release him once Mason is set to sign with any rugby union.
According to people at the Sheaf in Double Bay on Saturday night, who witnessed Mason and Roosters forward Nick Kouparitsas partying following their 38-18 loss against Manly Mason was apparently telling people that he's Life Member at the Bulldogs, which that isn't the case. Mason has qualified for Life Membership based on two of the three playing qualifications as he played ten successive seasons of grade and he appeared in over 200 club games (148 first grade and 60 lower grades).
However, Mason is yet to be nominated for Life Membership and is unlikely to be when his professional career is over. Former Bulldogs players Corey Hughes and Brent Sherwin and current Bulldogs player Matt Utai all qualify for Life Membership under the three playing criteria's with Utai recently bringing up 200 club games. All three will be nominated for Life Membership once their professional careers are over with Utai and Sherwin certain to accept the honour.
The departure of Mason will open the door for the Roosters to sign Mason's former Bulldogs team-mate Sonny Bill Williams to join the glamour Bondi club.
Williams left the Bulldogs in controversial circumstances last year to play rugby union in France, but many cynics believed that he was bound for the Roosters via France and now a short career in Boxing.
The Bulldogs sensed this could have been the case and for Williams to move away from the Bulldogs inserted a deeds of release clause that meant Williams had to pay the Bulldogs compensation and can't play for another Rugby League club until 2013.
Williams issued one of the most fake apologies on national television two weeks ago with many believing the view that his aim was for the NRL to soften on his ban and allow him to return to the NRL prior to 2013 for a club that wasn't the Bulldogs.
Mason's pending release and the rumours of Stephen Kearney being linked to the Roosters coaching position should Fittler leave or be sacked adds fuel to the fire that Williams could be Bondi bound. Williams wanted Kearney as coach of the Bulldogs ahead of Kevin Moore and incumbent Folkes.
Two certainties in any possible Williams return to the NRL development is that the Bulldogs with Todd Greenberg in charge won't back down from the deeds of release agreement whereas the NRL with David Gallop in charge will back down and allow Williams to return prior to 2013.
Matthew O'Neill rleague.com
Out of form Sydney Roosters forward Willie Mason is set to quit the NRL according to news reports earlier tonight if he can negotiate a release to join a rugby union side in Europe or Japan.
Mason walked out halfway through a four-year deal with the Bulldogs to join the Roosters for the 2008 season on another four-year deal. Mason's time at the Roosters besides a great performance against his former club last year has been troubled highlighted by poor form on the field.
Recently Mason was photographed taking a leak outside an Eastern Suburbs nightclub and earlier in the year was relegated to the Newtown NSW Cup side for breaking the Roosters drinking curfew.
Mason's career has been colourful on and off the field and has been the NRL's walking headline since becoming a prominent playing during the Bulldogs 17-match winning run in 2002.
Throughout his career Mason has been thinking of such overseas fantasies such as playing NFL and entering Boxing ring, but this episode of escaping to Europe or Japan seems to be most genuine.
Mason is believed to have fallen out with Roosters coach Brad Fittler this year and previously Mason took aim at Steve Folkes, who was his only coach during his 148 first grade games for the Bulldogs.
The Roosters have struggled to perform this year and have been let down badly by many of their over-priced imports with the Bondi based club prepared to release him once Mason is set to sign with any rugby union.
According to people at the Sheaf in Double Bay on Saturday night, who witnessed Mason and Roosters forward Nick Kouparitsas partying following their 38-18 loss against Manly Mason was apparently telling people that he's Life Member at the Bulldogs, which that isn't the case. Mason has qualified for Life Membership based on two of the three playing qualifications as he played ten successive seasons of grade and he appeared in over 200 club games (148 first grade and 60 lower grades).
However, Mason is yet to be nominated for Life Membership and is unlikely to be when his professional career is over. Former Bulldogs players Corey Hughes and Brent Sherwin and current Bulldogs player Matt Utai all qualify for Life Membership under the three playing criteria's with Utai recently bringing up 200 club games. All three will be nominated for Life Membership once their professional careers are over with Utai and Sherwin certain to accept the honour.
The departure of Mason will open the door for the Roosters to sign Mason's former Bulldogs team-mate Sonny Bill Williams to join the glamour Bondi club.
Williams left the Bulldogs in controversial circumstances last year to play rugby union in France, but many cynics believed that he was bound for the Roosters via France and now a short career in Boxing.
The Bulldogs sensed this could have been the case and for Williams to move away from the Bulldogs inserted a deeds of release clause that meant Williams had to pay the Bulldogs compensation and can't play for another Rugby League club until 2013.
Williams issued one of the most fake apologies on national television two weeks ago with many believing the view that his aim was for the NRL to soften on his ban and allow him to return to the NRL prior to 2013 for a club that wasn't the Bulldogs.
Mason's pending release and the rumours of Stephen Kearney being linked to the Roosters coaching position should Fittler leave or be sacked adds fuel to the fire that Williams could be Bondi bound. Williams wanted Kearney as coach of the Bulldogs ahead of Kevin Moore and incumbent Folkes.
Two certainties in any possible Williams return to the NRL development is that the Bulldogs with Todd Greenberg in charge won't back down from the deeds of release agreement whereas the NRL with David Gallop in charge will back down and allow Williams to return prior to 2013.
