Confirmed: Knights sign Mason for 2012 season

Novocastrian90 said:
Well maybe if it was just the two individuals. But then general line is anyone with a problem that is a semi decent player is a good buy because Bennett will fix them up, even though there several players with several different players but Mason is is unfixable by Bennett purely cos its Mason.

My general point is you cant use the whole Bennett will fix them up excuse for every player under the sun, but then not for someone you don't like. But this is going around in circles so end/
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I think it's more the length of history of Mason - he's been acting up for years and no other coach has been able to do much about it - plus at Mason's age he's not likely to change his stripes. Rather than it just being not liking Mason.

Personally I'm not too worried about his off-field stuff though ... if he'd do a job that would improve the team then we might as well sign him. The fact he's kept training throughout all his time off at least shows the motivation is still there, and he will have something to prove.

---------- Post added at 09:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:36 PM ----------

I was against it when it was first brought up in the off-season, or one or two rounds in, but that was before we sucked so bad! :lol:
 
Josh Hill said:
Mase has never been tackler, he's a bit lazy around that area, but that's not what we want. We want impact, size & metres. We have enough tacklers in the team. 100m a game & i'll be happy.
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Yeah, exactly. Our defence isn't the issue at the moment anyway and we have enough guys to help out in that area. Agreed, if he can get around 100m a game or more, then it's a bargain. Last time we were looking at 100k+ if he signed with us and I was concerned at getting him, but now for 40k + incentives, there's nothing to really lose, especially when we're desperate for another prop.

It would be awesome though if Laurie can become the monster impact guy we're all waiting for as well.
 
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Knights decide today on signing Willie Mason
http://www.theherald.com.au/news/lo...signing-willie-mason/2525113.aspx?storypage=0

- The decision to sign Mason will be made today.
- Matt Gidley will discuss the deal with major stakeholders. The same process which saw the Tigers unable to sign him due to negative feedback from fans & sponsors.
- Bennett wants to sign Mason for the rest of the year and he has Tinkler's support.
 
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Aidos said:
Knights decide today on signing Willie Mason
http://www.theherald.com.au/news/lo...signing-willie-mason/2525113.aspx?storypage=0

- The decision to sign Mason will be made today.
- Matt Gidley will discuss the deal with major stakeholders. The same process which saw the Tigers unable to sign him due to negative feedback from fans & sponsors.
- Bennett wants to sign Mason for the rest of the year and he has Tinkler's support.
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So if it's approved pen to paper today and press conference?
 
Looks like it'll be a done deal then. Sponsors would kill to be on anything involved with Bennett so i doubt they'll pull out.
 
Tweeted Willie last night about the Newy deal and not long after he has a Tweet saying he will have more news tomorrow (Today) which is why he can't reply.
 
Either way someone won't be getting their way. Gidley don't want him Bennett does. What happens if Bennett don't get his way on the odd occasion ?
 
Beaumont said:
Either way someone won't be getting their way. Gidley don't want him Bennett does. What happens if Bennett don't get his way on the odd occasion ?
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I must have missed something but where does it say Gidley doesn't want him?

I'm happy to have him I was spewing when he went to the Cowboys in 2010.

I'm more worried about his lack of game time recently ( seeing as we only have him for the rest of the year) than his off field discressions which have been blown out of proportion IMO
 
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We seriously need Size and mongrel now. So that he can lead by example and may get the softness out of our pack
 
I think he's had a bad wrap tbh remember he got a visa to go to England when quiet a few have been unable to and they don't seem to cop as much grief as him!

I imagine it's more to do with his personality and his comments that he makes etc than his off field misdemeanors!

His size and experience will hopefully help us out but nothing is guaranteed but I think for the price it's certainly worth a gamble!
 
When he signs, next home game he plays in there needs to be a willie chant and banners rev the toronto boy up
 
Deanoknights said:
I must have missed something but where does it say Gidley doesn't want him?

I'm happy to have him I was spewing when he went to the Cowboys in 2010.

I'm more worried about his lack of game time recently ( seeing as we only have him for the rest of the year) than his off field discressions which have been blown out of proportion IMO
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I wasn't referring to the article posted. Gidley has been quoted on radio and in the Herald as saying he's not keen him. Also those that think Willie has only been opinionated or been given a bad wrap are those that are missing something. He's had a positive drug test and verbally abused a female journalist . He's done a runner on a cab fare and been photographed a couple of times ****ing against a wall as well as taking his team mates to a whore house. He's been over the hill for a couple of years, hasn't had an off season and you blokes think he's the answer to our lack of grunt. The 2011 version of Willie wouldn't knock a cocky of it's perch. Geez we are obviously going a lot worse than I thought.
 
Willie hasn't done anything since he was at the sh*thole of a club the Roosters were in 2009. Watching all the interviews he had in the SL when he first signed, he definitely seems way more mature than he used to be. He has played well in his last few games, he makes 100m a game. He has a wife so it's not like he's gonna go out in town, get smashed & do a heap of immature crap. At 40k, it's a bargain. Matt Gidley wanted the deal off because confidential details got leaked yesterday in Sydney newspapers, Bennett has convinced him to re-think it.
 
Josh Hill said:
Matt Gidley wanted the deal off because confidential details got leaked yesterday in Sydney newspapers, Bennett has convinced him to re-think it.
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According to who?

Having a wife means nothing, people are people. They can still go out on the town. I found that comment strange.

Meanwhile, Weedler on Channel 9 says it was 'breaking news' that Mason is in Newcastle finalizing the deal and it's expected to be announced within the next 24 hours.
 
Alicia said:
According to who?

Having a wife means nothing, people are people. They can still go out on the town. I found that comment strange.

Meanwhile, Weedler on Channel 9 says it was 'breaking news' that Mason is in Newcastle finalizing the deal and it's expected to be announced within the next 24 hours.
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Just what i read in the Herald. Unless i'm misunderstanding it.

The Herald has been told Gidley was lukewarm on the idea, but Bennett asked him to contact Ayoub to discuss it and establish Mason’s asking price.

Ayoub and Gidley spoke on Saturday night, Gidley contacted Knights recruitment manager Peter Mulholland and financial controller Phil Blackford, and asked them to crunch the numbers to determine whether they had any room to move under their second-tier cap.

A $40,000 sign-on fee and match payments was the best they could cobble together, but when those figures were included yesterday in a Sydney newspaper report which had Mason virtually signed, sealed and delivered Gidley was livid and called Bennett to say the deal was off.

The Knights had not even tabled an offer to Mason – and still have not – but the leaking of such confidential information was a deal-breaker as far as Gidley was concerned.

Gidley and Bennett exchanged phone calls yesterday and the coach convinced his young CEO to calm down and reconsider, and they will talk again today.​
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By the wife comment, i mean he is far less likely to do something immature when he isn't surrounded by girls he's trying to impress on a night out. Nevermind.
 
Josh Hill said:
Watching all the interviews he had in the SL when he first signed, he definitely seems way more mature than he used to be.
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And watching his twitter account ... he isn't.

Oh wait, that's right, his phone got stolen. It was someone else's fault.
 
Yeah, he carried on like a complete tool on twitter. He's definitely no role model, that's for sure lol.
 
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