Willie Mason

At 44 years old, Willie Mason has this physical status:

Viliami William 'Willie' Marshall Mason (born 15 April 1980) is a former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s.

An Australia and Tonga international, and New South Wales State of Origin representative forward, he played in the National Rugby League for Australian clubs: the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (with whom he won the 2004 Grand Final and Clive Churchill Medal), the Sydney Roosters, the North Queensland Cowboys, the Newcastle Knights and the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles.

Mason also played in the Super League for English club the Hull Kingston Rovers and French club, the Catalans Dragons.

He also played rugby union in the Top 14 for French club RC Toulonnais.

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, New Zealand, to an Australian father and a Tongan-Samoan and African-American mother, Mason moved to Australia at a young age and grew up in Toronto, New South Wales, playing his junior football for the Toronto Macquarie Scorpions and the Lakes United Seagulls.

Source

Professional rugby league career

Mason was signed by the Hunter Mariners in 1997 and played in lower grades until the club defunct at the end of the year.

Mason signed with the Canterbury Bulldogs in 1998 and competed in the Under-18s Jersey Flegg tournament. Mason suffered a leg injury in 1999 during the Bulldogs' Jersey Flegg Grand Final victory.

After first-grader Darren Britt sustained an accident in Round 13 of the 2000 NRL season, he made his NRL debut for Canterbury-Bankstown against the Penrith Panthers. For the remainder of the season, he was a regular first-grader. Mason made his international debut in Tonga, his mother's country of origins, in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup, played in Great Britain and Ireland.

Mason was reported to have stolen from a taxi to avoid paying the fare in 2002. Mason was selected to make his NRL debut against Great Britain during the 2002 NRL season. On his debut, he scored a try.

In Game 3 of the 2003 State of Origins series, Mason received a call-up to make his New South Wales debut. He went on the 2003 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France, assisting Australia in their victory over Great Britain in what would be the last time the two nations contest an Ashes series. He was diagnosed as an amphetamine in 2003 and was fined $25,000 by his club. Mason has never expressed any skepticism about the subject.

After the evening ended, Mason, Trent Waterhouse, Craig Wing, Craig Gower, and Mark O'Meley were fined for unprofessional conduct and for leaving the team hotel. Mason forged another player's signature at an autograph signing session, and after a long night of heavy drinking, he and colleagues reportedly went to a brothel. Canterbury-Bankstown won the 2004 NRL Grand Final, beating the Sydney Roosters 16-13. Mason was given the Clive Churchill Medal for Man of the Match. He was selected in the Australian team to participate in the 2004 Rugby League Tri-Nations tournament at the end of season. In the Kangaroos' 44–4 victory over Great Britain, Mason played from the interchange bench and scored a try. Mason was also involved in Australia's victory over the United States in an international rugby league friendly match at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, but he sustained a fractured ankle.

During the first half of the 2005 NRL season, Mason did not participate in the NRL until Round 18, where the Bulldogs were playing. He competed in the 2005 Tri-Nations tournament.

Mason was rumored to be considering joining the National Football League (NFL), a childhood dream. He was reported to be sued by several teams, including the Oakland and San Francisco 49ers. Following the conclusion of the Rugby League Tri-Nations series in November, the New York Giants had agreed to trial with them in July. However, Mason stayed with the club until 2006. Willie returned to play 20 club matches, all three Origin games for NSW, and three Tests for Australia in the 2006 Tri-Nations series, winning him Man of the Match in the first game and three Tests for Australia. He was a dependable figure in the Bulldogs' return to finals football, while Canterbury-Bankstown was defeated by eventual Premiers the Brisbane Broncos just one game shy of the Grand Final. Until game 1 of the 2006 Gillette Trinations Series, Mason was televised swearing during the New Zealand haka. Mason's swollen black eye and suspected broken eye socket from a shoulder charge by David Kidwell later in the game. Mason explained that his swearing was motivated by Brent Webb's traditional Mori dance, an Indigenous Australian of Torres Strait Islander origins who became a New Zealand citizen. Following an altercation with Stuart Fielden during Great Britain's win over Australia in November 2006, Mason was barred for one game and fined $5,000. Mason was deposed in December 2006 during a legal hearing for the New York Jets, but the Canterbury club has also stated that he will continue his employment with the Canterbury club until the 2009 season's end. Mason said, "I'm probably at a point in my career where maybe it's time for a change." New York City is the world's capital. "I'm pretty sure I'd settle in there if given the opportunity," a Jets representative said Mason's offer of a job was highly unlikely, "I don't think they were even football drills, it was more of a visit." We just had a look at him, and here's where we left it." "Willie is a guy that came to our attention, he is a good rugby player, and this was just one of those opportunities we had, where we had to take a look at him," Jets coach Eric Mangini said. What we're doing is taking a look at him, seeing what potential there is for him. He seems to have been a good guy in the league for a long time. When I talked to him, he seemed to be very feisty." "Willie has given us his promise that he will be with us" says the Bulldogs, who had no anticipation of any change.

Mason was selected to play for Australia's second-row forward in the 2007 ANZAC Test match against New Zealand. He was involved in a nightclub brawl with Richie Williams, who Mason said he has no regard for the older players in the NRL and is a cocky kid who has yet to prove himself in the NRL a few weeks later. According to a fan poll in 2007, Mason was named the Most Hated Player. Mason apologised to 2GB's defamation, which resulted in a complaint from 2GB to the Canterbury-Bankstown club and the ARL Mason. Mason's sponsorship is provided by a sportswear company named Champion, who has almost ended its relationship with the tense footballer as a result of the incident. Mason was chosen for all three Origin games for NSW and Australia in the ANZAC Test match in 2007. Mason was dissatisfied with the Canterbury club at the end of the 2007 NRL season, according to the media. Mason wanted to leave the Bulldogs following an altercation with the club's CEO, Malcolm Noad, on October 31, 2007. Mason was expected to be released from the last two years of his contract after the club claimed to be paying Mason $50,000 for failing to attend an end of season function, but the club denied it. A rumors that Mason was going to be released from his employment led to several English and Australian clubs advising Mason that they were attempting to commit to Mason's deal for the 2008 season. After the Roosters were able to release back-rower Ashley Harrison to the Gold Coast Titans and considered releasing other players, the club was able to make an offer for Mason. Mason had signed a three-year contract with the Sydney Roosters on November 15, 2007.

During a visit to Port Macquarie in February 2008, Mason and his new Roosters teammate Anthony Tupou were charged with urinating in a public place.

Mason was selected in both the preliminary 46-man Kangaroos squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup and the Tonga training squad in August 2008. Mason, on the other hand, tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, and he did not participate in the Roosters Finals campaign.

Mason missed the Roosters' first game of the 2009 season after being thrashed by the South Sydney Rabbitohs 52–12. Mason was back in Round 2 against the Canberra Raiders, defeating them 30–4. After being caught urinating in a public place in May 2009, Mason was fined $2,000 by Sydney Roosters. He was also traded to the Newtown Jets. The Roosters finished the year in last place. When Brian Smith took over the coaching role at the Roosters, he told Mason that he was not involved in his future plans at the Roosters and that his services were no longer needed. Following Mason's legendary, Japanese Rugby Union and rugby league clubs vying for Mason's signature, Japanese Rugby Union and rugby league clubs, The Catalans Dragons, and the Queensland Reds were only a few of the clubs after Mason. He was given extended leave from the Roosters to start a new club. There were also rumors that he was going to join the Newcastle Knights later this year, but the Knights denied he had any affiliation with him. Willie Mason's late play and held talks with him on February 2, 2010 if the Cowboys had refused Mason, the Newcastle Knights were unlikely to make a deal with him.

Mason agreed to a one-year deal with the North Queensland Cowboys on February 5th. In Round 1, 2010, he made his Cowboys debut off the bench, losing 30–24 to the Broncos.

Mason signed a three-year deal with Hull Kingston Rovers in September 2011, pending a successful working visa application. Hull KR was forced to free Mason six months into his service because he was unable to obtain a Tongan passport that would have qualified him to escape his overseas quota.

It was announced on April 18, 2012, that Mason had signed with the Wayne Bennett coached Newcastle Knights for the remainder of the 2012 NRL season. In Newcastle's victory over the Penrith Panthers in Round 8, he made his Newcastle debut. Rodney, Mason's younger brother, was also playing rugby league with the Newcastle Knights at the time. Mason re-signed with the Knights for two years on November 15, 2012.

Mason was barred from driving for six months and fined $900 for drink driving on March 10, 2014. The offence was committed to Australia Day of that year, where Mason, who was on the verge of finishing a marathon, was arrested by police and gave a blood alcohol reading of 0.09.

Mason signed a one-year deal with the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles on October 28, 2014, following a three-year career with the Knights. Mason was in the spotlight again on May 13, this time for being grabbed by Newcastle player Korbin Sims on the genitals in Manly's 30-ten loss to Newcastle at Brookvale Oval. Sims played off the incident by saying, "I apologise to the fans, the NRL, and those who support the game and the club, if anyone finds it offensive," Sims told Fairfax Media. "It was only meant to be a harmless gesture between two people."

Mason talked to the media in 2018 about his time at Manly, his participation in the continuing drama surrounding board corruption and coach Trent Barrett's assertion that the club's facilities were not up to date. "I spent my last year in 2015 so I know where a lot of the backlash is coming from," Mason said. It was very unprofessional. You're getting a makeover of your f****n booty just three years old. It's ridiculous that they've only got their shit together now because Trent Barrett kicked up a stink. Around four or five clubs were involved, so we had to divide weights with the Australian touch team and union. I'd love to be a member of the club, but it's in the midst of a shambles at the moment. I'm sorry for all the participants."

Mason signed with the Catalan Dragons on February 16, 2016, extending his one-year deal as well as immediate commencement.

Source