Willie Mason
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Viliami William Marshall Mason (born 15 April 1980), also nicknamed "Big Willie", is a former professional
rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. An
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and
Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...
international and
New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...
State of Origin A State of Origin competition is a type of sporting event between players representing their state or territory. State of Origin began in Australian rules football on 8 October 1977 between Western Australia (WA) and Victoria, at Subiaco Oval ...
representative
forward Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward. Forward may also refer to: People * Forward (surname) Sports * Forward (association football) * Forward (basketball), including: ** Point forward ** Power forward (basketball) ** Sm ...
, he played in the
National Rugby League The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...
for the
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the NRL Telstra Premiership, as well as competitions facilita ...
(with whom he won the 2004 Grand Final and
Clive Churchill Medal The Clive Churchill Medal is the award given to the player judged to be man-of-the-match in the National Rugby League's annual Grand Final. The award was created to honour Clive Churchill, one of the greatest rugby league players in Australian ...
), the
Sydney Roosters The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional Rugby league, Rugby League Football Club based in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) and parts of inner Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. The Roosters have won ...
, the
North Queensland Cowboys The North Queensland Cowboys is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, the largest town in North Queensland. They compete in Australia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL). Sinc ...
, the
Newcastle Knights The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership. Playing in red and blue, th ...
and the
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Sydney's Northern Beaches. The team colours are maroon and white, while their namesake and logo is the sea eagle. They compete in Australia's premier rugb ...
. Mason also played in the
Super League The Super League (officially known as the Betfred Super League due to sponsorship from Betfred and legally known as Super League Europe), is the top-level of the British rugby league system. At present the league consists of twelve teams, of wh ...
for English club the
Hull Kingston Rovers Hull Kingston Rovers are a professional rugby league club based in Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, England, that competes in the Super League, the top tier of British rugby league. The club has won five league championships, and one Challeng ...
and French club, the
Catalans Dragons The Catalans Dragons ( French: ''Dragons Catalans'', Catalan: ''Dracs Catalans'') are a professional rugby league club from Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales department, France. The team competes in the Super League and are the only team from ...
. He also played
rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
in the
Top 14 The Top 14 () is a professional rugby union club competition that is played in France. Created in 1892, the Top 14 is at the top of the national league system operated by the French National Rugby League, also known by its French initialism o ...
for French club
RC Toulonnais Rugby Club Toulonnais (), also known as RCT but usually Toulon; oc, Rugbi Club Tolonenc) is a French professional rugby union club based in Toulon in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. A current participant in the first-tier Top 14 competition, they ...
. During his career Mason was involved in a number of controversial off-field incidents which have received media publicity due to his high profile in the NRL.


Early life

Mason was born in
Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
, New Zealand, to an
Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Au ...
father and a Tongan- Samoan and
African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
mother, Mason moved to Australia at a young age and grew up in
Toronto, New South Wales Toronto () is a lakeside suburb within the city of Lake Macquarie, Greater Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia, approximately from Newcastle's central business district and is a commercial hub for the sprawling suburbs on the western shore ...
, playing his junior football for the Toronto Macquarie Scorpions and the
Lakes United Seagulls Lakes United is a rugby league club based in the Newcastle, New South Wales, Newcastle, New South Wales region of Australia. Known as ''The Seagulls'' and wearing Royal blue and Gold (color), Gold, they have been a member of the Newcastle Rugby ...
.


Professional rugby league career

In 1997, Mason was signed by the
Hunter Mariners The Hunter Mariners were an Australian professional rugby league club based in the Hunter Region's largest city, Newcastle. Hunter was formed in mid-1995 and was later disbanded at the end of 1997. The club was formed because of the Super Leag ...
and played in the lower grades until the club became defunct at the end of the year.


Canterbury-Bankstown

In 1998, Mason signed with the
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the NRL Telstra Premiership, as well as competitions facilita ...
and played in the under-18s
Jersey Flegg Harry "Jersey" Flegg (6 April 1878 in Bolton, Lancashire23 August 1960 in North Sydney, New South Wales) was an English-Australian rugby league identity. Both a player and administrator, he was a leading figure in the birth of the sport in Aust ...
competition. In 1999, Mason suffered a leg fracture in the game before the Bulldogs' Jersey Flegg Grand Final win. In Round 13 of the
2000 NRL season The 2000 NRL season was the 93rd season of professional rugby league football in Australia and the third to be run by the National Rugby League. Fourteen teams competed from February till August for the NRL Premiership, culminating in the 2000 ...
he made his
NRL The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...
debut for Canterbury-Bankstown against the
Penrith Panthers The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith that competes in the NRL. The team is based west of the centre of Sydney, at the foot of the Blue Mountains. Penrith ...
after first-grader
Darren Britt Darren Britt (born 9 October 1969) is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played as a in the 1990s and 2000s. He played for Western Suburbs and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the NRL. He also represented the Australian na ...
suffered an injury. He became a regular first-grader for the rest of the season. After the 2000 season, Mason made his international debut for
Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...
, his mother's country of origin, in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup played in Great Britain and Ireland. In 2002, Mason was reported to have run from a taxi to avoid paying the fare. After the
2002 NRL season The 2002 NRL season was the 95th season of professional rugby league football in Australia and the fifth to be run by the National Rugby League. The season was affected by the competition-leading Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs' salary cap breach fi ...
, Mason was selected to make his debut for
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
against
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
. He scored a try on debut. During 2003, Mason earned a call-up to make his debut for
New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...
in Game 3 of the
2003 State of Origin series The 2003 State of Origin series was the 22nd year that the annual three-game series between Queensland and New South Wales was contested entirely under 'state of origin' selection rules. Queensland's return to a renovated Lang Park was soured whe ...
. After the
2003 NRL season The 2003 NRL premiership was the 96th season of professional rugby league football in Australia and the sixth run by the National Rugby League. Fifteen teams competed, with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles returning in place of their failed joint ...
, he went on the
2003 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France The 2003 Kangaroo Tour was a six-match tour by the Australia national rugby league team of France, Wales and England, and to date has been the last Kangaroo Tour. The last three matches were all Tests against Great Britain national rugby league te ...
, helping Australia to victory over
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
in what would be the last time the two nations contested an
Ashes series The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. The term originated in a satirical obituary published in a British newspaper, ''The Sporting Times'', immediately after Australia's 1882 victory at The Oval, its first Te ...
. In 2003, he tested positive to an illicit social drug, reported to be an
amphetamine Amphetamine (contracted from alpha- methylphenethylamine) is a strong central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), narcolepsy, and obesity. It is also commonly used ...
, and was fined $25,000 by his club. Mason has never commented on the issue publicly. In 2004, Mason along with
Trent Waterhouse Trent Waterhouse (born 8 January 1981), also known by the nickname of "House", is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a forward for the Thirroul Butchers in the Illawarra Rugby League. He has previously played for t ...
,
Craig Wing Craig Wing (born 26 December 1979), also known by the nickname of "Wingy", is an Australian-born former professional rugby league and rugby union footballer. He began his career in rugby league, playing for the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the S ...
,
Craig Gower Craig Gower (born 29 April 1978) is an Italian-Australian former professional rugby league and rugby union footballer who played in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. He is a dual-code rugby international, having played rugby league for Australia and ...
and
Mark O'Meley Mark O'Meley (born 22 May 1981) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of Irish descent who played as a in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s he also played junior footy for the northern lakes warriors and the Wyong Roos. He also ...
, were fined for unprofessional behaviour and for leaving the team hotel after the side had returned from the night out. Mason forged another player's signature at an autograph event, and after a heavy drinking session with teammates, reportedly visited a
brothel A brothel, bordello, ranch, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in sexual activity with prostitutes. However, for legal or cultural reasons, establishments often describe themselves as massage parlors, bars, strip clubs, body rub par ...
. The next season Canterbury-Bankstown reached the
2004 NRL Grand Final The 2004 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2004 NRL season. It was contested by the Sydney Roosters, who had finished the regular season in 1st place, and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, who had finished ...
and triumphed 16–13 over the
Sydney Roosters The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional Rugby league, Rugby League Football Club based in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) and parts of inner Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. The Roosters have won ...
. Mason was awarded the
Clive Churchill Medal The Clive Churchill Medal is the award given to the player judged to be man-of-the-match in the National Rugby League's annual Grand Final. The award was created to honour Clive Churchill, one of the greatest rugby league players in Australian ...
for ''Man of the Match''. He was selected in the Australian team to go and compete in the end of season 2004 Rugby League Tri-Nations tournament. In the final against
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
Mason played from the interchange bench and scored a
try Try or TRY may refer to: Music Albums * ''Try!'', an album by the John Mayer Trio * ''Try'' (Bebo Norman album) (2014) Songs * "Try" (Blue Rodeo song) (1987) * "Try" (Colbie Caillat song) (2014) * "Try" (Nelly Furtado song) (2004) * " Try (Ju ...
in the Kangaroos' 44–4 victory. Also at the end of 2004, Mason played in Australia's win over the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
in an international rugby league friendly match at
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
's Franklin Field but suffered a fractured ankle. Mason was out of action during the first half of the
2005 NRL season The 2005 NRL season was the 98th season of professional rugby league football in Australia and the eighth run by the National Rugby League. The lineup of clubs remained unchanged from the previous year, with fifteen teams contesting the 2005 Telst ...
and only played the last nine games of the season. He played in the 2005 Tri-nations tournament. In June 2006, news speculation surfaced that Mason was considering joining the United States'
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL), a childhood dream. He was said to be courted by several teams, including the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
and
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
. In July it was confirmed the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
had offered him the opportunity to trial with them after the Rugby League Tri-Nations series finished in November. However, the Canterbury club objected to the deal, and Mason remained with the club beyond 2006. In 2006, Willie returned to become a regular member of the Bulldogs team where he managed to play 20 club matches, all three Origin games for NSW – in which he was named ''Man of the Match'' in the opening game and three Tests for Australia in the
2006 Tri-Nations The 2006 Rugby League Tri-Nations (also known as the Gillette Rugby League Tri-Nations due to sponsorship by Gillette) was the second Rugby League Tri-Nations tournament hosted by Australia and New Zealand. The tournament followed the same format ...
series. He was a firm figure in the clubs return to finals football as the Bulldogs finished second on the ladder, Canterbury-Bankstown were beaten by eventual Premiers the
Brisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Football Club Ltd., commonly referred to as the Broncos, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos play in Australia's elite com ...
one game shy of the Grand Final. Mason was televised appearing to swear during the New Zealand
haka Haka (; plural ''haka'', in both Māori and English) are a variety of ceremonial performance art in Māori culture. It is often performed by a group, with vigorous movements and stamping of the feet with rhythmically shouted or chanted accompani ...
, before game 1 of the 2006 Gillette Tri-nations Series. Later in the match Mason suffered a swollen black eye and suspected broken eye socket from a shoulder charge by
David Kidwell David Kidwell (born 23 April 1977) is a professional rugby football, rugby coach (sport), coach who is the defence coach at Los Pumas, the national rugby union team of Argentina, and a former rugby league player. As a player, he represented New ...
. Mason explained that his swearing was in response to the traditional
Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
dance being performed by
Brent Webb Brent Douglas Webb (born 9 November 1979) is a former New Zealand national rugby league team, New Zealand international rugby league footballer who played as a . He previously played for the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League, ...
, an Indigenous Australian of
Torres Strait Islander Torres Strait Islanders () are the Indigenous Melanesian people of the Torres Strait Islands, which are part of the state of Queensland, Australia. Ethnically distinct from the Aboriginal people of the rest of Australia, they are often grouped ...
origin who became a New Zealand citizen. Mason was banned for one game and fined $5,000 following an altercation with
Stuart Fielden Stuart Fielden (born 14 September 1979) is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. He was formerly an assistant coach for the Huddersfield Giants in the Super League, and now is a Person ...
during Great Britain's victory over Australia in November 2006. In December 2006 Mason took part in a trial with the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
, but still maintained he would fulfil his contract with the Canterbury club until the end of the 2009 season. Mason said "I'm probably at the time in my career now where maybe it is time for a change. New York City is the capital of the world. I'm pretty sure I could settle in there if given the opportunity..." However a Jets representative stated that Mason even being offered a contract was very unlikely, "I don't think they were even football drills, it was more of a visit. We just had a look at him and that is where we left it." The Jets coach
Eric Mangini Eric Anthony Mangini (born January 19, 1971) is a former American football coach and current television sports analyst. Mangini had been with the San Francisco 49ers since 2013 and served as the team's tight ends coach for two seasons before b ...
was impressed with Mason, saying "Willie is a guy that came to our attention, he is a pretty good rugby player, and it was just one of those opportunities we had, where we have to take a look at him. What we're doing is taking a look at him, seeing what potential there is for him. He seems to have been a pretty dynamic guy in that league for a long time. He seemed relatively feisty when I spoke to him." The Bulldogs never anticipated any move, saying "Willie has given us his guarantee he will be with us." Mason was selected to play for the Australian national team at second-row forward the 2007 ANZAC Test match victory against New Zealand. A few weeks later he was involved in a nightclub altercation with the out-spoken
Richie Williams Richard "Richie" Williams (born June 3, 1970) is an American former professional soccer player and coach. Known for his diminutive height and his dogged tackling, Williams spent the vast majority of his playing career in the United States, pla ...
, who Mason claimed shows no respect to the older players in the NRL and is a cocky kid who has yet to prove himself in the NRL. Mason was voted the most hated player by a fans poll in 2007. At
Sydney Airport Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (colloquially Mascot Airport, Kingsford Smith Airport, or Sydney Airport; ; ) is an international airport in Sydney, Australia, located 8 km (5 mi) south of the Sydney central business district, in the ...
in 2007, Mason verbally challenged a female reporter from radio station
2GB 2GB is a commercial radio station in Sydney, Australia owned by parent company Nine Radio, a division of Nine Entertainment Co., who also own sister station 2UE. 2GB broadcasts on 873 kHz, AM. In 2010, 2GB held 14.7% of the total rad ...
, resulting in a complaint from 2GB to the
Canterbury-Bankstown Canterbury-Bankstown is a customary region of Sydney, Australia, in the south-western suburbs. The area is located around the Bankstown railway line, to the west of the St George region and to the south of the Inner West region. The suburbs o ...
club and the
ARL ARL may refer to: Military * US Navy hull classification symbol for repair ship * Admiralty Research Laboratory, UK * United States Army Research Laboratory * ARL 44, a WWII French tank Organizations * Aero Research Limited, a UK adhesives compan ...
Mason later admitted to the outburst, which was captured on audio recordings, and apologised to 2GB journalist Michelle Keighran. Mason is sponsored by
sportswear Sportswear or activewear is clothing, including footwear, worn for sport or physical exercise. Sport-specific clothing is worn for most sports and physical exercise, for practical, comfort or safety reasons. Typical sport-specific garments ...
manufacturer,
Champion A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, an ...
, which almost severed its contract with the controversial footballer as a result of the incident. In 2007, Mason was selected for all three Origin games for NSW and represented Australia in the ANZAC Test match. At the conclusion of the
2007 NRL season The 2007 NRL season was the one hundredth season of professional rugby league football club competition in Australia, and the tenth run by the National Rugby League. Sixteen teams contested the NRL's 2007 Telstra Premiership, and with the inclusio ...
, the media began reporting that Mason was unhappy at the Canterbury club. On 31 October 2007 ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...
'' reported that Mason wanted to leave the Bulldogs after an altercation with the club's CEO, Malcolm Noad. A day later it was reported that Mason was to be released from the final two years of his contract after the club rejected his chance to fight in a professional boxing match worth up to 100,000 and because the club claimed to be fining Mason $50,000 for failure to attend an end of season function, although this was denied by Canterbury-Bankstown. Speculation that Mason was to be released from his contract led to a number of English and Australian clubs confirming they were seeking to sign Mason to a contract for the 2008 season. After the Roosters were able to release back-rower
Ashley Harrison Ashley Harrison (born 18 May 1981) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a in the 2000s and 2010s. He played for the Gold Coast Titans of the NRL. A Queensland State of Origin representative lock forwar ...
to the Gold Coast Titans and considered releasing other players, the club was able to make an offer for Mason. On 15 November 2007 it was confirmed that Mason had signed a three-year deal with the
Sydney Roosters The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional Rugby league, Rugby League Football Club based in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) and parts of inner Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. The Roosters have won ...
.


Sydney Roosters

In February 2008, Mason and his new Roosters teammate
Anthony Tupou Anthony Tupou (born 1 March 1983) is a former professional rugby league footballer who played as a and in the 2000s and 2010s. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative, he played for the Sydney Roosters, ...
were charged with urinating in a public place during a visit to
Port Macquarie Port Macquarie is a coastal town in the local government area of Port Macquarie-Hastings. It is located on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, about north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. The town is located on the Tasman Sea co ...
. In August 2008, Mason was named in both the preliminary 46-man Kangaroos squad for the
2008 Rugby League World Cup The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since its inauguration in 1954, and the first since the 2000 tournament. The tournament was held in Australia from 26 October, culminating in the final b ...
and the Tonga training squad. However, in the final regular game of the season Mason ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in his knee and took no part in the Roosters Finals Campaign. Mason missed the Roosters first game of the 2009 season after they were thrashed by
South Sydney Rabbitohs The South Sydney Rabbitohs are a professional Australian rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen pla ...
52–12. Mason returned in Round 2, against the
Canberra Raiders The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby ...
they were victors 30–4. In May 2009 Mason was fined $2,000 by
Sydney Roosters The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional Rugby league, Rugby League Football Club based in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) and parts of inner Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. The Roosters have won ...
after being photographed urinating in a public place. He was also dropped to the
Newtown Jets The Newtown Jets are an Australian rugby league football club based in Newtown, a suburb of Sydney's inner west. They currently compete in the NSW Cup competition, having left the top grade after the 1983 NSWRFL season. The Jets' home ground ...
. The Roosters finished the year in last spot. When Brian Smith took over the coaching role at the Roosters he told Mason he was not in his future plans at the Roosters and his services were no long needed there. Interest in Mason was said to be high with a number of high-profile rugby union and rugby league clubs chasing Mason's signature, Japanese Rugby Union teams, French Super League team
Catalans Dragons The Catalans Dragons ( French: ''Dragons Catalans'', Catalan: ''Dracs Catalans'') are a professional rugby league club from Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales department, France. The team competes in the Super League and are the only team from ...
and the
Queensland Reds The Queensland Reds is the rugby union team for the Australian state of Queensland that competes in the Southern Hemisphere's Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996, they were a representative team selected from the rugby union club competition ...
were just some of the clubs after Mason. He was given extended leave from the Roosters to find a new club. There were also some rumours he was going to join the
Newcastle Knights The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership. Playing in red and blue, th ...
late in the year, but the Knights denied any relation to him. The
North Queensland Cowboys The North Queensland Cowboys is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, the largest town in North Queensland. They compete in Australia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL). Sinc ...
made a late play for Willie Mason and held talks with him on 2 February 2010 If the Cowboys had rejected Mason the
Newcastle Knights The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership. Playing in red and blue, th ...
were poised to make a deal with him as they had lost prop
Danny Wicks Danny Wicks (born 5 December 1985) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. He played as a in the NRL for the St. George Illawarra Dragons, Newcastle Knights and the Parramatta Eels. From September 2011 to March 2013, Wic ...


North Queensland Cowboys

On 5 February 2010, Mason agreed to a one-year contract with the North Queensland Cowboys. He made his Cowboys debut off the bench in a 30–24 loss to the Broncos in Round 1, 2010.


Super League

In September 2011, Mason signed a three-year contract with
Hull Kingston Rovers Hull Kingston Rovers are a professional rugby league club based in Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, England, that competes in the Super League, the top tier of British rugby league. The club has won five league championships, and one Challeng ...
, pending a successful working visa application. Six months into his contract, Hull KR were forced to release Mason as he was unable to obtain a Tongan passport that would have enabled him to come off their overseas quota.


Newcastle Knights

On 18 April 2012, it was confirmed Mason had signed with the Wayne Bennett coached
Newcastle Knights The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership. Playing in red and blue, th ...
for the remainder of the
2012 NRL season The 2012 NRL season was the 105th season of professional rugby league club competition in Australia, and the first run by the newly formed Australian Rugby League Commission. The main competition, called the 2012 NRL Telstra Premiership due to spon ...
. He made his Newcastle debut at
Hunter Stadium Newcastle International Sports Centre, known as McDonald Jones Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose sports stadium located in Newcastle, Australia. The ground is home to the Newcastle Knights (National Rugby League) and Newca ...
in their Round 8 victory over the
Penrith Panthers The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith that competes in the NRL. The team is based west of the centre of Sydney, at the foot of the Blue Mountains. Penrith ...
. Mason's younger brother Rodney was also playing rugby league with the Newcastle Knights at the time. On 15 November 2012, Mason re-signed with the Knights for two years. On 10 March 2014, Mason was disqualified from driving for six months and fined $900 for drink driving. The offence was in relation to Australia Day of that year where after a marathon drinking session, Mason drove to training, was pulled over by police and blew a blood alcohol reading of 0.09.


Manly Warringah Sea Eagles

On 28 October 2014, after a three-year stint with the Knights, Mason signed a one-year contract with the
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Sydney's Northern Beaches. The team colours are maroon and white, while their namesake and logo is the sea eagle. They compete in Australia's premier rugb ...
starting in 2015. On 13 May 2015, Mason was in the spotlight again, this time for being grabbed by Newcastle player
Korbin Sims Korbin Sims (born 2 January 1992) is a Fiji international rugby league footballer who last played as a and forward for Hull Kingston Rovers in the Super League. He previously played for the Newcastle Knights, Brisbane Broncos and the St. G ...
on the genitals in Manly's 30–10 loss to Newcastle at
Brookvale Oval Brookvale Oval (also known by the commercial sponsorship name 4 Pines Park) is a sporting ground located within Brookvale Park at Brookvale, New South Wales, Australia. The ground is owned by Northern Beaches Council and is primarily used by th ...
. Sims tried to laugh off the incident by saying "I apologise to the fans, the NRL and people involved with the game and the club, if anyone found it inappropriate", Sims told Fairfax Media. "It was merely meant to be a harmless gesture between two friends." In 2018, Mason spoke to the media about his time at Manly in relation to the ongoing saga with the board infighting and coach Trent Barrett claiming the facilities at the club were not up to date. Mason said "I spent my last year there in 2015 so I understand where a lot of the backlash is coming from, back then we were getting changed out of our cars, out of our boots. It was pretty unprofessional. Only three years ago you're getting changed out of your f****n boot. It's ridiculous and they've only got their shit together now because Trent Barrett kicked up a stink. We had to share weights with the Australian touch team and union, there was about four or five clubs in there. I'd hate to be a part of the club at the moment... it's a very proud club but it's in shambles at the moment. I feel sorry for all the players".


Catalans Dragons

On 16 February 2016, Mason returned to the Super League with
Catalans Dragons The Catalans Dragons ( French: ''Dragons Catalans'', Catalan: ''Dracs Catalans'') are a professional rugby league club from Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales department, France. The team competes in the Super League and are the only team from ...
, signing a one-year contract starting effective immediately.


Rugby union

After being released by Hull KR, Mason signed with
Top 14 The Top 14 () is a professional rugby union club competition that is played in France. Created in 1892, the Top 14 is at the top of the national league system operated by the French National Rugby League, also known by its French initialism o ...
rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
side,
Toulon Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...
in April 2011. He was seen by Toulon as a possible successor to former
Bulldogs The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is of medium size, a muscular, hefty dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose.Sonny Bill Williams Sonny Bill Williams (born 3 August 1985) is a New Zealand heavyweight boxer, and a former professional rugby league and rugby union player and as of recently is working for Stan Sports. He is only the List of dual-code rugby internationals#New ...
. In June Mason was selected to play for
Barbarian F.C. The Barbarian Football Club, known as the Barbarians is a British-based invitational rugby union club. The Barbarians play in black and white hoops, though players wear socks from their own club strip. Membership is by invitation. As of 2011, p ...
from the interchange bench in their victory against
Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
. In December Toulon agreed to release Mason as he was reportedly unhappy in
rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
. Mason was described by Toulon fans as "the biggest flop" in the club's history.


Post playing

In 2017, Mason was scheduled to appear as a celebrity contestant on
Seven Network The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, and is one of ...
's Australian version of ''
Hell's Kitchen Hell's Kitchen, also known as Clinton, is a neighborhood on the West Side of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is considered to be bordered by 34th Street (or 41st Street) to the south, 59th Street to the north, Eighth Avenue to the eas ...
''. In July 2017, Mason branded former professional
rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
footballer
Tommy Raudonikis Thomas Walter Raudonikis (13 April 1950 – 7 April 2021) was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach. He played 40 International games and World Cup games as Australia representative and captained his country in two matches of the 1 ...
an idiot after Raudonikis said that
Jarryd Hayne Jarryd Lee Hayne (born 15 February 1988) is a former professional rugby league footballer who also briefly played American football and rugby union sevens. Hayne began his career in 2006 as a er for the Parramatta Eels, winning the NRL's Da ...
had failed in the NFL and accused him of not trying while playing for the
Gold Coast Titans The Gold Coast Titans are a professional rugby league football club, based on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australia and New Zealand's national rugby league club competition. The ...
. Mason rushed to Hayne's defence saying "He had a contract, he sold the most jerseys in the NFL ... I just don't like it when you get uneducated people on there who hammer people about absolute rubbish, Tommy should just shut his mouth, I hate how everybody is coming out and bagging him about his money. He's earning $1.2 million, who cares?, you get these idiots from the 70s and 80s bashing him". In June 2018, Mason claimed that when he was at Manly that nobody wanted to play alongside teammate
Daly Cherry-Evans Daly Cherry-Evans (born 20 February 1989) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in the NRL and Australia at international level. He captains Manly and won the 2011 NRL Grand ...
and that he was the reason there was such a divide at the club. Mason went on to say "I was there in 2015, I've never seen, never been involved in a team, that I could just see such a divide in a club, It was because of Cherry-Evans. All this shit that's been happening around him, like, something's wrong, "He then signed with the
Gold Coast Titans The Gold Coast Titans are a professional rugby league football club, based on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australia and New Zealand's national rugby league club competition. The ...
for like 10 years", Mason said. "And then there was a big f….. meeting, Cherry-Evans has got something to say. "I just signed a deal with the Titans boys, blah blah blah". "I'm like, who gives a f…, you don't hold a meeting about that. No one cared" Mason's comments came in the wake of former Manly player
Anthony Watmough Anthony Watmough (born 10 July 1983) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative forward, he played the majority of his career with the Manly-Warrin ...
commenting on a podcast calling Cherry-Evans a "faggot" and that he was the reason other players needed to depart the club.


References


External links


Catalans Dragons profile2008 interview from ''Ralph'' magazineSydney Roosters profileWillie Mason NRL Player ProfileState of Origin Official website Rugby League Player Stats
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mason, Willie 1980 births Australian people of African-American descent Australian people of American descent Tongan emigrants to Australia New Zealand emigrants to Australia Rugby league players from Auckland People from New South Wales Australian rugby league players Macquarie Scorpions players Lakes United Seagulls players Valentine-Eleebana Red Devils players Rugby league second-rows Rugby league props Australia national rugby league team players Tonga national rugby league team players Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs players Sydney Roosters players North Queensland Cowboys players Hull Kingston Rovers players Manly Warringah Sea Eagles players Newtown Jets NSW Cup players Newcastle Knights players Country New South Wales Origin rugby league team players New South Wales Rugby League State of Origin players NRL All Stars players Clive Churchill Medal winners Barbarian F.C. players Living people