Confirmed: Knights sign Mason for 2012 season

adam.forbes1 said:
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...ast-willie-mason/story-e6frexnr-1226328223514

Thoughts?

Going to boost our forward pack and hopefully wayne can keep him under control....
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"Boost our forward pack or booze with our forward pack?? He didn't boost anything at the Cowboys except his bank account and he's doing the same here. Thanks for looking after our Juniors Wayne, I bet there's a lot of nervous parents out there hoping Mason never gives any advice to their kids.

---------- Post added at 08:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:29 PM ----------
Josh Hill said:
Mason is a local, grew up in Toronto, played lower grades for Hunter Mariners.
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Yeah, I know all of that but is HE the type of local you want to be cheering on? Apparently they've dropped someone off the bench from the Cup side so he can get a run....great loyalty to that bloke eh?
 
kiwi said:
"Boost our forward pack or booze with our forward pack?? He didn't boost anything at the Cowboys except his bank account and he's doing the same here. Thanks for looking after our Juniors Wayne, I bet there's a lot of nervous parents out there hoping Mason never gives any advice to their kids.

---------- Post added at 08:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:29 PM ----------


Yeah, I know all of that but is HE the type of local you want to be cheering on? Apparently they've dropped someone off the bench from the Cup side so he can get a run....great loyalty to that bloke eh?
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Just give the guy a go...he knows he is on his last chance and he is only on 40k, if he doesn't perform or he mucks up let him go.
 
Great signing! :D

Beaumont said:
How's Josh Ailaomai going at the Rooters ? Shame we couldn't get past a half hearted collision with a Ref and see if in fact he could make the grade.
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He plays off the bench for Newtown. He was never up to standard fitness-wise apparently.


ASJ82 said:
Exactly! I don't know why everyone is sayin he'll be our saviour. I reckon he'll just be another forward being pushed back. It's not like he's been playing good footy in the nrl in recent times, he's been training in a park. Hate to say it but I think this will be just another big dissapointment like cuthbertson.
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Noone is saying he will be our savior, stop exaggerating. People are saying he will be a good addition to our forward pack because we are desperate for some size.
 
Being realistic Mason would not be the first player on any clubs must sign list but were seven rounds into the season and its rare you can sign a player like Mason at this point. His not my favorite player but I am willing to give him a chance his experience may be invulnerable considering the lack of big game experience in our pack with the exception of Costigan and Snowden few players have played above CVC level.
 
This break comes at an extremely convenient time for us. Gives Mason 2 weeks to train his *** off, get fit & blow some cobwebs out in NSW Cup instead of coming in & having around 3 or 4 days here before playing an NRL game.
 
Newcastle Knights coach Wayne Bennett thrilled to have signed Willie Mason

093984-willie-mason.jpg

New Knight: Willie Mason.

NEWCASTLE coach Wayne Bennett experienced a curious emotion when he learned Wests Tigers were poised to sign Willie Mason last month.

"I was actually a bit envious," Bennett admitted last night.

"I thought they were going to pick him up and I wished we could have got him. Then two or three weeks later the opportunity came up and we've taken it."

Simple as that. No agonising politics. No crisis meetings with nervous sponsors.

Unlike the Tigers - who got cold feet when Mason was all but theirs - Newcastle didn't blink in the face of pending controversy that's become synonymous with rugby league's human headline.

"We've got an advisory board and a private owner (Nathan Tinkler)," Bennett said.

"We were all across it. Now it's done we're going to bite the bullet and see where it takes us."

Mason blitzed a fitness assessment in Newcastle yesterday and Bennett is confident the 32-year-old prop's "genuine go forward" will help turn around an inconsistent start to 2012.

The seven-time premiership winning coach admitted to early reservations about the club's depth up front. He decided to offer Mason a lifeline after watching his pack struggle in the opening two months.

"I became interested about four weeks ago," Bennett said.

"I probably realised we needed another bloke with genuine go forward.

"The other guys have tried extremely hard and we've got a couple of extremely good young forwards (in the lower grades).

"I just don't want to expose them yet.

"For now, it's about competing at this level. The opportunity was there and we took it."

It works both ways, given Mason has been training alone in Sydney's eastern suburbs since gaining a release from French rugby club Toulon in January.

Yesterday's assessment was a chance for Bennett to gauge whether his new recruit - who joins the club on a second tier sign-on fee with match payments - is fit enough to return via the NSW Cup this weekend.

The glowing results confirmed private sessions with sprint coach Roger Fabri had done the trick, meaning that Mason will most probably pack down alongside younger brother Rodney against Illawarra Cutters at Shark Park on Sunday afternoon.

"All I needed to know was that he was genuine about playing well again," Bennett said.

"Physically I thought he could do it, but I needed to be convinced that he was up to it mentally.

"I had very few conversations with him, but the fact he turned up (yesterday) in such great shape is a great indicator.

"If he turned up sloppy it would've been an indication of a different attitude.

"And knowing human nature ... he's been on the market for a little while with no takers.

"If he doesn't have something to prove now, he never will."

Mason's agent Sam Ayoub said the Newcastle junior - who learned his trade with Macquarie Scorpions - would live with family to begin with.

"It was refreshing to do a rugby league deal with rugby league people who appreciate the value of a player like Willie Mason," Ayoub said.

In a club statement released last night, Mason promised to not "waste the opportunity to not only perform on the field but to contribute to the Knights' strong community programs."

"It is great to be home and playing in front of my family, friends and the Newcastle community," Mason said. "I can't wait to run out for my first game in the famous Knights colours."

Having trained Mason in Centennial Park on Monday afternoon, Fabri said the 24-Test veteran was in peak condition.

"I've worked with Mase for five years and his speed to power ratio is better than I've ever seen," Fabri said.

"I've also been impressed by his attitude. There's been a few setbacks but his work ethic never dropped off."

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...ned-willie-mason/story-e6frexnr-1226332075053

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Welcome home Willie....

I don't understand why some people are bagging him and saying we shouldn't of signed him....You support your team no matter what.

Lets face it we have been struggling for go forward and impact and need someone of Mason's size and experience.

He might be the spark our forwards need as they have been dominated in every game.

Lets all cheer him on and hope he plays his best.
 
Read and article today which had and interview with Bennett. He spoke about judging Willie on his time at the Knights and how he was worried were short up front.
 
I don't know if I am comfortable with the Mason signing, just because he is a bit of a loose cannon - not for his off field drama - I mean with a club that has championed Robbie O (suspended for drugs), Joey Johns (many issues) etc... it would be simply hypocrisy for us to condemn Mason for his off field drama - he can be a bit loose around defence and make some horrible decisions in attack - but under Bennett - who knows - might just have ourselves a premiership player!?!? We can only hope!
 
daniel - Although I pointed out Mason's history after thinking about what others have got away with yet still pulled on a Knights jumper I'm comfortable with him representing the Club. Also after sleeping on it I like others believe he thinks he has something to prove. It doesn't matter how big and tough you appear on the surface the thought that others think you are past it can or indeed were never there can be a very strong driving force.
 
I've never been fond of Mason, hence why I was a little dissappointed we signed him. I just hope he can give me something to be fond of whilst he's playing for us.
 
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