Willie Mason signs for North Queensland Cowboys

[Charlie124]

On what planet is the Knights a "discplined" organisation in comparision to the wild "frat house" Cowboys???

Sounds like a big bag of sour grapes to me.

LOL, yeah i had a bit of a laugh at that too.

As ive said in a few threads now, i think Willie chose the Cowboys for exactly the same reasons the Knights fans thought he would choose them.

At the Knights he would have had:
Family close by
Heaps of mates close by
More money
Longer contract
Higher profile
Familiar surroundings
...the list goes on.

But i think for once in his career he doesnt want to take the safe/easy option, he wants to to prove himself and his many critics that he can grow up and remove himself from the comfort zone he's created for himself. I think since he was told that he was unwanted at the Roosters and to look elswhere he has sat down and had a good long think about his career up until this point and realised that he has to change something, not make the same mistakes again.
He needed to take a big chance and i think he's done that.

 

[NAS]

Gotta be honest here, Willie Mason did not play bad football last year for the chooks. In fact he was one of the only players there who I thought was putting in, on the field. He's still a damaging player, well regarded, as evidenced by the fact that the coaches who have won the last 3 premierships, all begged their boards to give him a shot. Bellamy and Hasler are no fools in this regard!!!

Willie's problems lie in his reputation off the field.....He's seen as a divisive influence, and I think he's generally copped a bit of flack courtesy of what happened with Steve Folkes. This may have been a problem with Fittler as well. Given that there were "issues" between Freddie and "senior players" throughout the season.

Willie has the opportunity to go up to Townsville and knuckle down!!!! If he does, he'll be on most teams shopping lists next year (I can't see Souths or the Tigers ever going after him). If not, he'll disappear into the ether of has beens who had a few great seasons, and could have been great, but couldn't get their act together to truly realise their potential.........

 

[parra_jesus]

i think 60 k for mason is a great buy. sure people say he is a "cancer" but i think he will clean up his act a bit after realising he isnt bigger then the game and if he screws up again he literally will be out on his ass with no nrl club. once he recovers from his knee injure he will be back in good form.

 

[aqua_duck]

The Daily Telegraph understands Mason was not impressed with behavioural clauses the Knights wanted to insert in his contract, and that tipped the scales in North Queensland's favour.

well can't say I'm surprised

 

[johns_reds]

Gotta laugh at this line of thinking.

Knights finished 7th without their two starting props for pretty much the whole year, and without Smith abandoning us could have made the top 4.

Cowboys finished 12th.

It ended up an easy choice because the Cowboys are the frat house of the NRL. He had a choice between growing up and partying on - and he chose partying on.

I think knights got lucky last season, i can see cowboys finishing higher the newcastle this season, you can quote me at the end of the season.

lol....suddenly people are tipping the Cowboys for top 8? In the "who do you think will win the spoon" thread of a few weeks back they were a popular tip. If Thurston goes down, say goodbye

Yeah and every season the people that "know it all" are the same people that post in those threads and get it wrong every season, :roll:

 

[perverse]

I think knights got lucky last season, i can see cowboys finishing higher the newcastle this season, you can quote me at the end of the season.

just curious, are you basing that on last years results and form, all the plethora of roster changes (haha) for both clubs this year? lol.

 

[Mr Angry]

Happy to see it settled.

Mason will do well at the cowboys.

Bring back the fro.

 

[kia ora storm]

Mason will go well at the Cowboys...good signing IMO.

 

[God-King Dean]

Sucked in Willie.

:lol:

How much do you make a year?

 

[macavity]

But i think for once in his career he doesnt want to take the safe/easy option

:lol:

Don't kid yourself, he did take the easy option.

He took the option without a strict code of conduct, media scruitiny, and his mum looking over his shoulder.

He took the option where he is free to play up with his good mates wingnut and boofhead.

 

[Hanscholo]

Thank god for Newcastle's sake.

But i am disgusted we went there in the first place. Still the embaressment being felt by the front office being told they werent good enough, especially by a cretin like mason choosing a nothing club like Nth QLD is a well deserved...LMAO @ the knights supporters and management that wanted this.

 

[Bulldog Force]

Sucked in Willie.

At least through this exercise you've gotten a better idea of your real value... no offers from Japanese/overseas rugby (which you talked up when SBW did his runner), no offers from NFL, no offers from overseas Super League, no offers from boxing... get the picture? :lol:

Oh, and sucked in Townsville... you won't know what hit you until he gets there, and spreads his "positive influence" among the juniors in your squad. Cowboys will turn to pot (or worse?) over the next few years...

lol. Fire up little fella

 

[Paullyboy]

This will be one of the signings of the year. I find it staggering how everone has forgotten how much talent he has because of some off-field discretions. It was never on the cards, but I would have loved it if he made his way down to the nations capital.

 

[Rhino_NQ]

willie's best form at the dogs was while he was training under billy j, although im not expecting him to be the 2010 prop of the year (assuming we will play him up front) JT feeding him short balls on the fringes and in particular close to the opposition line does sound promising. He wants a fresh start so give him a shot, ive never been a fan of him myself but it still sucks watching players not using their potential. If round 15 comes along and hes been rubbish then you can start abusing him

 

[PJ Marshal]

cowboys need a bit of fire power in the pack

mason should provide that if he pulls his finger out each week

better than that fat overated tubb of lard carl webb

 

[Charlie124]

:lol:

Don't kid yourself, he did take the easy option.

He took the option without a strict code of conduct, media scruitiny, and his mum looking over his shoulder.

He took the option where he is free to play up with his good mates wingnut and boofhead.

Really?? thats funny coz I thought our code of conduct was one of the more strict ones in the comp. Mitchell Sargeant found that out when he got busted with coke in his system afer a party in the offseason and was immediately sacked, only to be picked up by the junkie capital of the NRL...Newcastle.

What on earth makes you think your club has now decided to get tough about player discipline?? O'Davis, MacDougal, Johns, Wicks, Whoever this un-named player under investigation is etc.... the list goes on. If Newcastle were really serious about fixing the drug/misbehaviour culture there they would have done it a long time ago, not after just the latest time they've been caught out.

 

[macavity]

What on earth makes you think your club has now decided to get tough about player discipline??

Because we have.

We have sacked every player to put a foot wrong since the new CEO came on board.

Terrence Seu Seu and Kalifa Fai-Fai Loa can attest to that.

Whoever this un-named player under investigation is etc.... the list goes on.

That is about as relevant as me saying a cowboys star loves a bun.....

 

[macavity]

Also, party in the off-season?

That is funny, because I clearly remember that Sargent got sacked the week after you hosted us.

Did you wait until after that game to sack him?

 

[Rhino_NQ]

i think it was some time afterwards he got tested and came out positive. Don't qoute me on that though as i don't remember all the details. From memory some drugs can stay in your system for up to 6 months. i remember it being pretty swift though after board was told about his test. Was very disappointed as he was a handy buy for us when we picked him up from the storm

 

[perverse]

i think it was some time afterwards he got tested and came out positive. Don't qoute me on that though as i don't remember all the details. From memory some drugs can stay in your system for up to 6 months. i remember it being pretty swift though after board was told about his test

cocaine isn't one of them. out of your system in 24-48 hours. probably less with a professional athlete.