Bulldogs named & shamed
By James Hooper
March 20, 2004
FLAMBOYANT Bulldogs star Willie Mason stormed out of a Canterbury board meeting after being fined $10,000 for breaching the club's code of conduct.
A furious Mason got up and slammed the door on the nine-man Bulldogs board after he was hit with the stiff penalty, which club insiders have revealed also took into account previous misconduct.
The Daily Telegraph can also reveal fellow rugbly league player Brent Sherwin was fined $5000 and given a $5000 good-behaviour bond, which his management team intend to appeal against.
The fines were issued on a drama-charged Thursday at the Bulldogs Belmore headquarters, the same day football manager Garry Hughes was axed for failing to enforce the club's code of conduct.
The former premiership-winning player is the first victim of the controversy surrounding the Bulldogs' sex scandal.
Separate to the rape allegations, Mason and Sherwin were found by the board not to have followed a directive issued by chief executive Steve Mortimer for players to turn up at Sydney police headquarters to assist with the rape investigation in "smart-casual" clothing.
Sacked football manager Hughes was told to inform Bulldogs players of the order but the pair still turned up in thongs, with a Bulldogs spokesperson last night confirming Mason was hit with a heavier penalty due to past indiscretions.
Sherwin apologised to the board but reasoned he simply wore the same clothes he would take his partner out to the movies in. Seven other Bulldogs players were hit with $5000 good behaviour bonds.
"Most of the players involved got a $5000 probation but this wasn't a first offence for one of the players," a Bulldogs spokesperson said.
Insiders painted a grim picture yesterday, with the sacking of Hughes said to have created a split between players and the board. Bulldogs management denied Hughes was sacked because one of the club's remaining sponsors had threatened to pull out if severe action was not taken against someone at management level.
Graeme Hughes, brother of Garry, confirmed Corey and Glen Hughes would continue to play with the Canterbury club while other brother Mark Hughes would stay on as the club's recruitment manager.
The Canterbury board has invited players to meet them on Monday to further discuss the fines imposed on Mason, Sherwin and the good-behaviour bonds placed on the other players after the board interviews.
Sherwin's manager Mark Rowan confirmed he would appeal against the fine handed to his client.
