The Willie Mason Superthread

[aqua_duck]

Just hope we don't **** around too much and get beaten to the punch. Sounds like Onslow is ready to go as soon as he gets the all clear

 

[perverse]

willie got paid 100k already apparently from the roosters because he's been on their books for the past 3 months. I the players got paid lump sums Mason would've got 200k already. There'd be no advantages what so ever for clubs to pay big lump sums up front, it'd be a very bad business practice

well.. i guess you can argue your point all you like, but at the end of the day i don't think we'd have much more than $100k to splash about next year - with that $100k being a rough media ballpark sort of figure. if you're not comfortable with that, then that's your prerogative... but as far as rough figures go i think $100k is as close to the mark as you'd get. the paper isn't exactly going to say "the knights have $117,325 and the cowboys have $123,485" available to them... because a) they wouldn't have access to those sorts of exact figures and b) when asking a club official they would throw a ballpark figure too.

newcastle is, in my opinion, a uniquely attractive option to mason at the moment for many reasons... but money isn't one of them. we're not going to outbid the cowboys for this season to get him. getting beaten to the punch is also a null argument as far as i'm concerned. willie would be well aware we're pursuing him and is hardly going to take the cowboys offer because they got it in a week or so before us. it's stupid and naive to think that. it will come down to who can offer the best terms AFTER this year of the contract... and who can offer the most desirable environment. blaming management for being too late to the punch is just ignorant... if you're going to blame management if we miss out - blame them for putting forward a worse (and likely considerably worse) mid-long term deal than the cowboys.

anyway, stupid conversation. reeks of off-season.

 

[Baron Vo Mandor]

$100K this year and $250k for the next two years after that would get him. And I reckon thats a bargain price.

 

[Yosh]

I'm just getting excited becuase this is the closest we have gone to signing a Marquee player for many many years!!

Hope he does sign. Logic says he will, but stranger things have happened...

 

[aqua_duck]

well.. i guess you can argue your point all you like, but at the end of the day i don't think we'd have much more than $100k to splash about next year - with that $100k being a rough media ballpark sort of figure. if you're not comfortable with that, then that's your prerogative... but as far as rough figures go i think $100k is as close to the mark as you'd get. the paper isn't exactly going to say "the knights have $117,325 and the cowboys have $123,485" available to them... because a) they wouldn't have access to those sorts of exact figures and b) when asking a club official they would throw a ballpark figure too.

newcastle is, in my opinion, a uniquely attractive option to mason at the moment for many reasons... but money isn't one of them. we're not going to outbid the cowboys for this season to get him. getting beaten to the punch is also a null argument as far as i'm concerned. willie would be well aware we're pursuing him and is hardly going to take the cowboys offer because they got it in a week or so before us. it's stupid and naive to think that. it will come down to who can offer the best terms AFTER this year of the contract... and who can offer the most desirable environment. blaming management for being too late to the punch is just ignorant... if you're going to blame management if we miss out - blame them for putting forward a worse (and likely considerably worse) mid-long term deal than the cowboys.

anyway, stupid conversation. reeks of off-season.

We'll agree to disagree with how much we have left under the cap.
I haven't blamed management for anything, all I meant was in our situation there's no reason why he'd not sign with us unless management ***** up the negotiations. We're in a better position than the cowboys football wise, we've got family links and I'm certain we'd have more room to move than the cowboys in terms of salary cap, especially with them offer JT 700k a year.
Also I reckon we should try our best to sign him as quickly as possible, especially so we can get him to the training paddock and have him on the same page as the rest of the team

 

[Newie is God's Country]

Cowboys won't hassle big Willie
By Wayne Heming
February 04, 2010
North Queensland will not pressure Willie Mason into choosing between them and NRL rivals Newcastle but believe he would benefit from playing for the Cowboys in 2010.
It's understood both his former Bulldogs' teammates Johnathan Thurston and Willie Tonga have encouraged him to make the move north despite the appeal of heading home to Newcastle where his mother Sonya and brother Rodney, who plays for the Knights Under-20 side live.

Both clubs have tabled offers to the 29 year-old former representative forward who is tipped to make a decision in the next 48 hours.

Parr said the club would not hassle Mason for an answer but added coach Neil Henry had made it very clear they needed him to to be training before the season kicks off next month.

"We made Willie a one off offer and he said he'd get back to us when he made a decision," Parr said.

"We're not expecting him here tomorrow but it was made very clear to him what we require from him.

"I've signed a lot of players over the years and I've learned they don't particularly like being hassled so you present your case and let them make up their mind."

Newcastle are hoping Mason will want to come home but the Cowboys are banking on the opportunity to play with Thurston and Matty Bowen to be the ace up their sleeve.

"I think we'd be very good for him," said Parr.

"We'd have a pretty good pack (Carl) Webb, (Luke) O'Donnell, (Matt) Scott, (Aaron) Payne, (Antonio) Kafusi, (Manase) Manuokafoa, (Scott) Southern with Thurston and Bowen running off the back them, it's not bad."

Parr said a fit and focused and happy Mason would be a bonus to any footy team.

"I don't know about Newcastle but I've got no doubt we can provide him with a good footy team, a good environment and I think we can provide him with a lifestyle and a good community which he'll enjoy."

Mason's manager Damien McGregor-Lowndes, said the Test forward would announce where he would play when the deal was done.

He offered a "no comment" on Thursday when asked if both clubs had tabled offers to the former NSW and Test forward.

Mason is tipped to make a decision by the end of the week.

"There's no comment to be made. Once it's done, Willie will make a comment then," said McGregor-Lowndes.
AAP


http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/print/0,22451,26677562-23210,00.html

 

[Bicey_18]

Well we missed out...again

NBN announced Willie joined the Cowboys

 

[Newie is God's Country]

Well we missed out...again

NBN announced Willie joined the Cowboys

NO other news agencies have announced it. I mean Rabbit once announced House as being on the bench for origin. He was the 18th man. If you are right well that is the way it goes and as a result I am utterly convinced that our club board are a pack of yesterday's heroes. Chief canvassed the idea with them? Who cares. Burro going on about behaviour clauses in a public domain is nothing short of stupid and naive from an chief administrator.

 

[cram]

On top of that they had plenty of time to look at him but left it till the last minute to decide to move on him....

 

[cram]

NBN is still reporting it as a done deal...Ray Dineen just announced it on the headline news.

 

[perverse]

On top of that they had plenty of time to look at him but left it till the last minute to decide to move on him....

i don't see the relevance, given that both offers were on the table within a few days of each other.

stupid, perhaps... but hardly a factor in whether he came here or not i would think.

 

[cram]

Perhaps and perhaps not.....we will never know will we? I would imagine however, had they had done something several weeks ago when it was very obvious no one wanted him he may have jumped at the chance.

 

[sneaky_is_here]

fox sports news came on... still nothing

 

[cram]

Yeah is a bit odd that its not getting a billing anywhere else...

 

[Newie is God's Country]

Not a word of a lie I just saw an article, one of those rumour based 'more to follow' ones, which said Mason had just signed for the cows. Guess what. It has been pulled! Within 5 mins of being posted. Just keeping the facts as is. Now I hope to go to bed and wake up where The Knights got punked by Willie and he has agreed a 3 year deal.

 

[perverse]

interesting... possibly more to come i guess.

 

[Serc]

Guys, this is a post on another forum from a guy I know who works in the media in Townsville (Ch 10 I think but not 100% sure)

i just texted our local sports journo and yes he get a phone call at 645pm saying he signed with the cowboys. he rang the cowboys media manager who hadnt heard anything about the signing yet.

Of course this is not an officially sourced anything...but I'd like to hope this post can stay as I have labelled it as (technically) hearsay and not suggesting this is concrete, just adding some info to the discussion

 

[Charlie124]

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...eensland-cowboys/story-e6frexnr-1225826887948

 

[Shorty]

Newcastle's also considerably less of a stinking hot sh*t-hole than Townsville.

It's always Newcastle folk that say this:lol: truth is they're about the same, sorry.

Ah well hard luck guys, I wasn't terribly interested in him but here's hoping he gets his life back on track.

 

[Serc]

Newcastle's also considerably less of a stinking hot sh*t-hole than Townsville.

It's always Newcastle folk that say this:lol: truth is they're about the same, sorry.

Should I bother replying to this one Mr Mis?