0
Big Willie's wee lands fine
By ANDREW WEBSTER and GLENN JACKSON - SMH | Wednesday, 20 February 2008
Big Willie's wee lands fine - New Zealand's source for sport, rugby, cricket & league news on Stuff.co.nz
When Willie Mason controversially signed with the Roosters last November, he promised their wary fans: "I want to earn your respect."
Coach Brad Fittler pleaded with them to "give Willie a chance".
Yesterday, Mason was handed an infringement notice for urinating in a public place, and suddenly the Roosters were learning what life was like for the Bulldogs. International back-rower Anthony Tupou was issued with the same notice after the incident in Coffs Harbour on Saturday night.
The Sydney Morning Herald has also learnt that Mason was asked to leave the Plantation Hotel later that evening - even though witnesses report he had done nothing wrong and the club confirmed it did not consider the incident worthy of a reprimand.
While the club has ordered Mason and Tupou to carry out community work with the Police Community Youth Clubs, some at the club are unhappy that police had seen fit to merely warn the pair on Saturday night and only decided to issue infringement notices when media interest stirred. That is unlikely to appease the legions of Roosters fans who feared the screaming headlines the most controversial player in the game attracts.
"It doesn't matter if they're new or old signings, we're disappointed this occurred," Roosters chief executive Brian Canavan said. "It's not just the fact it's Willie. We're disappointed in both of them. It doesn't matter if it's Willie or not."
After securing Mason in November, Fittler tried to allay supporters' concerns about signing the international in an open letter to The Sun-Herald.
"If you can support me then you should support any decision the club makes," Fittler wrote. In the same article, Mason said: "You have to earn the fans' respect. I'm not coming in here thinking everybody should respect me as a player and a person straight away. I need to earn that."
Mason and Tupou had been drinking with teammates at the Coffs Coast Hotel on the Pacific Highway the night after playing a fiery trial match in Port Macquarie, and had discreetly slipped down an alleyway as the group was moving to the next venue. Police confirmed they were searching for another person who fled the scene. It was not clear whether the third party was a Rooster.
"Police were patrolling and saw three men urinating in public," a police spokeswoman said. "Two of the men were spoken to while a third fled. Inquiries are continuing."
Canavan said neither player would be fined further nor would they be stood down for the Foundation Cup contest against Wests Tigers on Saturday.
"The players are deeply embarrassed by it, and they're genuinely embarrassed," he said.
The incident comes on top of a much-publicised brawl in the Roosters' trial match against local side Dunghutti Broncos, and also follows two of their players being involved in an altercation with a group of men outside a fast-food restaurant in Wollongong during a pre-season camp. Shaun Kenny-Dowall and Setaimata Sa broke curfew and were involved in a brawl after money was stolen from Kenny-Dowall. Neither player is yet to be cleared by police and as such the Roosters are yet to confirm penalties.
"There will be continuing education of our players. This [latest] incident will be used to highlight the need for players to behave," Canavan said.
The incident also comes at the worst possible time for Tupou, who is off contract at the end of this season. However, Canavan maintained his indiscretion would not count against him. Adding to the embarrassment is the fact that Mason was yesterday named to play in his first match in Roosters colours. Hours before the incident became public, Fittler had said that Mason was a great coup for the club. "Obviously he creates a lot of interest with the club," he said
While NRL chief executive David Gallop openly called for Mason's former teammate Sonny Bill Williams to get help after he was issued with an infringement notice last year, he did not do the same for Mason despite a long list of previous indiscretions.
"While we accept the players' apologies are genuine, it's still unacceptable behaviour, and we hope that their alarm bells would ring a bit louder next time."
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by littleleck
