Rugby says no to desperate Willie Mason

[Flamethrower]

Rugby says no to desperate Willie Mason
Friday, 9 November 2007
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4267441a10295.html


Thats one rude head

Troubled league star Willie Mason sounded out the Australian Rugby Union about a switch of codes but was told there was no interest in his skills for the 15-man game.

Mason has left his beloved Bulldogs NRL club after falling out with chief executive Malcolm Noad.

Now his manager Greg Keenan is shopping around for Mason's future and that included a phone call to Aussie rugby headquarters in Sydney.

"There was an enquiry last week," the ARU's high performance manager Pat Howard confirmed to AAP.

"He [Keenan] asked us and we said we were not interested. I'm not sure whether he [Mason] would suit rugby and our focus is on tight five development at the moment."

The Wallabies are keen to bolster their scrum and Mason's fit in rugby would be more appropriate to the back row.

Mason, who has entertained thoughts of switching codes in the past, certainly wouldn't have endeared himself to the rugby bosses with his previous comments about the game, labelling rugby as "boring" at one stage.

Australia have openly courted league stars over the past few years and still have Lote Tuqiri on their books. But Mat Rogers' and Wendell Sailor's rugby stints were relatively short-lived with mixed success.

So Mason, who has had his share of troubles off the field, will have to stick with league and now there appears to be a tug o' war going on for his services among Sydney league clubs the Roosters, Cronulla Sharks and St George Illawarra.

[frontrow]

Thank god we didn't go down that road...Mason is trouble...

[Flamethrower]

I don't know where he would fit in to a rugby team, even if he wasn't trouble.

[Burgs]

I think he would have to be a #6 or #8, he wouldn't have the skills to be in the tight five.
At 195cm and 114kg he would have been a pretty handy #3 if he had developed in Union, kind of an Andrew Sheridan (England) type but with far better hit up and handling skills.
Don't worry, Willie on field in loose play would be a handful for any Union opposition, just we have enough player management issues off field without bringing another one on board.
Certainly would have brought some mongrel back to the pack though!
Tahs must have already announced their '08 Squad...

[jazza93]

thats just ARU though if reds are desprate they should bid for him

[prop53]

Thank God sence at last

[GIGS20]

Thank god Reds filled their roster before the beginning of the ARC!

ARu said no, therefore Wallatahs don't want him.

Force and Brumbies don't need him/are far to smart torisk that.

Phew!

[Bunji]

Dead set beef cake...
BUT HOW couldnt you sign willllllyyy.

15m out .. off the edge of the ruck
Hes over

Not many brains but the blokes got some ticker and ball skills.
Have seen him turn a game on its head and come away with he win on a couple of occassions

Team must have a few flags to knock willy back
EVEN AS A RESERVE

[Ecky]

I don't reckon there's any player in league who can convert to a forward in rugby.

There. I said it. Someone had to.

Might seem to be a big call but think about it - they have no scrummaging/breakdown skills required for the mungo game, they just hit it up if they have the pill - and then will be penalised for holding on because that's their instinct - or take part in a two-man tackle of the ball carrier - and then get pinged for not releasing the tackled player. Even at 6 or 7 they'd be struggling big time. It's different going from rugby to league, Ray Price being the obvious example, and who was that bloke from the 1980's who played Wallabies and then went to the Rabbitohs? I can't remember his name off the top. I think he played for the Kangaroos too.

And, as for Big Willie, well, how much could you teach him? Doesn't appear to be the sharpest tool in the shed... We don't need him in our game.

[Ecky]

...and who was that bloke from the 1980's who played Wallabies and then went to the Rabbitohs? I can't remember his name off the top. I think he played for the Kangaroos too.

Scott Gourley! That's the feller!

Played Wallabies 1988 & 1989 and then jumped to mungo and played Kangaroos 1991.

Went to St George and then to Roosters, not Rabbitohs. Mea culpa there

[chibi]

The only fella I'd like to see cross over to union would be Craig Wing, and he'd be coming back anyway

[shasta]

I don't reckon there's any player in league who can convert to a forward in rugby.

There. I said it. Someone had to.

Why did someone "have to?"

There have been more than a few. Brad Thorn is the most recent example.

Wouldn't playing for the Broncos, Qld State of Origin and the Kangaroos then playing in a World Cup as an All Black count as a successful conversion?

[Burgs]

Pretty sure he started in Union before the Broncos though Shasta?

[shasta]

Pretty sure he started in Union before the Broncos though Shasta?

Well I'm sure you're wrong and sure beats pretty sure.

Thorne played RL in the juniors and went thru the RL development system. Maybe, like lots of kids did a bit of both at school, who knows? His family moved over to mungo territory when he was only 6yo.

Dunno if you're aware but he's switched again. I came across the 2008 Crusaders list at stuff.co.nz................................Daniel Carter (Canterbury), Ross Filipo (Wellington), Corey Flynn (Canterbury), Scott Hamilton (Canterbury), Casey Laulala (Canterbury), Richie McCaw (Canterbury), Leon MacDonald (Canterbury), Caleb Ralph (Tasman), Greg Somerville (Canterbury), Brad Thorn (Tasman), ...............................

[GIGS20]

Typical bloody mungo, run to the highest bidder!