Mason released by Bulldogs and joins Roosters.

[hugebrianfan]

I wouldn't mind watching big Willy wear the blue and orange colours.

lol sorry um who are the blue and orange colours..?
this proves how dumb I am

[Super Cronk]

he has been released.

more to come....

EDIT*
foxsports.com.au

CONTROVERSIAL Bulldogs forward Willie Mason has been given permission to negotiate with any other interested clubs in either the NRL or the English Super league.

Club chairman Dr George Peponis has fronted the media following a two hour meeting at the club involving board members and players.

The club did stress that they will give Mason every chance to defend his position, before any further decision is made on his future.

More to follow.

[Super Cronk]

lol sorry um who are the blue and orange colours..?
this proves how dumb I am

Hint: It isnt a coincidence that this site is also orange and blue

[jenny]

Hint: It isnt a coincidence that this site is also orange and blue

She's cute as a button

[hugebrianfan]

he has been released.

more to come....

EDIT*
foxsports.com.au

OMG!! hes leaving..?

noo

[hugebrianfan]

Hint: It isnt a coincidence that this site is also orange and blue

Im such an idiot, thats why im blonde

it'd be awesome to see him play for the titans..

or even newcastle

[hugebrianfan]

She's cute as a button

aww..thanks Jenny your a cutie too

[jenny]

Willie Mason 'can talk with other clubs'

November 7, 2007 - 7:40PM

Controversial Bulldogs forward Willie Mason is set to leave the club after being given permission to negotiate with other NRL and English Super League teams.

In a short statement Bulldogs chairman George Peponis said Mason would be asked to come before the board, where he'd be given the chance to put his case forward regarding possible breaches of club rules.

"The board has resolved to give permission to Willie Mason to formally negotiate with other clubs both in England and the NRL," Peponis said.

"Willie Mason will be asked to come before the board and he will be given the chance to put his case forward (regarding) the breaking of any club rules.

"That opportunity will be afforded to Willie Mason when he returns from Melbourne (expected to be Friday).

"The club will not comment further until Willie Mason has had reasonable opportunity to address the board."

Mason's effective release comes after an ongoing feud with Bulldogs chief executive Malcolm Noad over an alleged series of missed engagements by the player - for which the club was considering fines - and his desire to pursue boxing as a sideline to his league career.

It is believed the Bulldogs have not released Mason because they would have to pay out the final two years of his $450,000 per year contract.

On a day of drama at the Canterbury Leagues Club, 12 Dogs players arrived dressed in club apparel and entered through a side door around 20 minutes after the scheduled starting time of Wednesday's board meeting.

The group included captain Andrew Ryan, superstar Sonny Bill Williams and goalkicking ace Hazem El Masri.

It is believed they met separately to discuss the Mason saga and Ryan, hooker Corey Hughes and fullback Luke Patten spoke at the board meeting and gave the board the players' backing for whatever decision they came to.

They made the point that they understood there were two sides to Mason - the player they respected on the training and playing paddock, but also the player unwilling to fulfil his duties as a clubman.

Although it was unclear whether they were there to support Mason, his manager Greg Keenan said: "Willie is very appreciative of the support shown by his teammates in showing up."

Keenan also said "in line with the consent granted by the club" negotiations had already commenced with several NRL and overseas clubs to sign Mason.

The Sydney Roosters, Cronulla, North Queensland and English Super League club Hull have already expressed interest in signing Mason, although the NRL's salary cap could be the most influential player in the damaging ball runner's immediate future.

Mason has indicated he would be keen on a move to the Roosters, although the chance to play under national coach Ricky Stuart at the Sharks may also be enticing to him.

Several clubs contacted after the Bulldogs' announcement expressed an interest in chasing Mason's signature.

Cronulla chief executive Tony Zappia said the club was "very interested" in signing Mason but would need to wait on the outcome of the potential sale of Ben Ross.

The prop forward, believed to be on a contract worth around $400,000 a year, has been approached by Hull and if he leaves that would free up salary cap space for Cronulla.

"We're very interested in Willie and we will be making an offer providing it meets the salary cap requirements," Zappia said.

"We've just got to see if we can put a reasonable offer to him.

"We're waiting on a couple of outcomes ... we'll know more in the next 48 hours.

"(Ross) has had an approach from Hull ... if that opportunity arises for Ben then that (Mason's signing) opportunity opens for us.

North Queensland boss Peter Parr said the Cowboys "might consider" making an approach to Mason and a decision could be made as early as Thursday.

"We've got some room there (under the salary cap) but it depends what he'd be prepared to play for," Parr said.

"We'll make some decisions over the next few days."

It is understood St George Illawarra may also be interested in Mason if they can offload injury-prone halfback Mathew Head.

Chief executive Peter Doust declined to comment when contacted.

Wests Tigers, Brisbane and Gold Coast were among the clubs who have confirmed they would not make a play for Mason.

Mason played 148 games for the Bulldogs following his debut in 2000.

? 2007 AAP

[Capital_Shark]

Can't see him leaving Sydney. Its between the Dragons, Chooks and Sharks.

[hugebrianfan]

hhmm interesting..

wonder what he'll do..
cant believe hes gone

[Super Cronk]

well he isnt actually gone. just allowed to negtioate with other clubs.

[hugebrianfan]

yeah i just worked that one out lol

[jenny]

Hull step up bid for Mason

November 7, 2007 - 9:17PM

English Super League club Hull FC have stepped up their bid to sign Willie Mason after revealing their coach Peter Sharp is in Australia and negotiating for the controversial Bulldogs forward.

Mason is set to leave the Bulldogs after being given permission by the club to negotiate elsewhere.

Hull, as well as several NRL clubs including Sydney Roosters, Cronulla and North Queensland, have expressed an interest in signing Mason.

It was initially thought the Test forward wouldn't be interested in a move to England but his manager Greg Keenan is already in talks with Hull.

"Our coach Peter Sharp is an Australian and he is back home anyway at the moment, so he is doing some of the negotiations," Hull spokesman Richard Tingle told AAP.

"He isn't due back into the country until the weekend because Hull actually report back for pre-season training on Monday."

"Obviously, we will be pursuing that initial talk to see where it takes us. We also understand the Roosters and Cronulla are in for him as well."

Hull's position in the race for Mason was strengthened after they played down a move for Cronulla prop Ben Ross.

The Sharks are only likely to be able to afford Mason in the NRL salary cap if they can offload Ross, who is believed to be on a contract worth around $400,000.

Sharks chief executive Tony Zappia said Hull had made an approach for Ross but Tingle said: "I am not sure we would be interested in Ben Ross.

"Ben Ross certainly hasn't been mentioned along the lines of, `if we don't get Willie we might get Ben Ross.'

"That hasn't come into the equation at all."

"We as a club are very ambitious and want to improve on what we have done over the last three years."

Hull, who already boast former NRL players Matt Sing, Shaun Berrigan, Adam Dykes and Todd Byrne, won the Super League grand final in 2006 and the Challenge Cup in 2005.

"We want to have a shot at both competitions this season, so Willie Mason would be a wonderful acquisition if we could get him," Tingle said.

"When he came onto the market we thought we may as well have a go. He can only say no."

Mason's likely exit is a result of an ongoing feud with Bulldogs chief executive Malcolm Noad over an alleged series of missed engagements by the player - for which the club was considering fines - and his desire to pursue boxing as a sideline to his league career.

? 2007 AAP

[Titanium_BD1103]

What can I say but it's for the best... if Willie is not committed to our club 100% anymore, it's best he leaves and goes elsewhere... he might be good, but no player is worth carrying along when another guy who is willing to give 100% but is unproven is waiting in the wings.

Good to see the boys standing by their mate, the club is the club and hopefully they realise that as much as us fans do.... regardless of the result we will all move on and the next star will come for the Bulldogs, they always do...

[jenny]

Roosters chat to Willie Mason's manager

November 8, 2007 - 7:28PM

The Sydney Roosters have sprung out of the blocks in their bid to lure homeless Test forward Willie Mason to the NRL club, holding talks with the ex-Bulldog's manager.

Roosters chief executive Brian Canavan confirmed the "informal" chat as Mason again declared his interest in joining the tri-colours as North Queensland and English Super League club Hull pulled out of the race for the 27-year-old player's signature.

The Roosters, Cronulla and possibly St George Illawarra remain in the contest, although Dragons boss Peter Doust has again refused to comment on his club's interest.

"We just had an informal chat to the manager (Greg Keenan) ... it's gone no further than informal," Canavan told AAP.

Canavan said no offer had been tabled for Mason and the Roosters would not consider a "back-end" deal, in which a player is paid less in his first year to ease salary cap constraints, because "they're way too dangerous".

"The manager said he just needed a little bit of time to gather information from the interested parties so we accepted that," Canavan said.

"He may be back to us tomorrow or definitely over the weekend."

Asked whether the Roosters would need to offload players to free up room for Mason under the NRL's $4 million cap, Canavan said: "It just depends on what level they come in at, it depends on their expectation so we wouldn't make any judgment until that expectation was tabled in front of us."

Last week Mason infuriated Bulldogs supporters with a comment that "one more colour" on a jersey wouldn't make much difference to him and on Thursday he restated his desire to join the Bondi club.

"The Sydney Roosters are definitely an option, they've pretty much got half our side there already so I might as well go and join my mates," he told the Nine Network.

Meanwhile, Cowboys boss Peter Parr said his club had pulled out because it wanted to show loyalty to existing players.

"Whilst we think Willie is a very good footballer, we weren't prepared to have some casualties with guys that have been very good to us," Parr told AAP.

"I know there's other clubs trying to unload and to move players on to make room for him, which is what any club's going to have to do."

And Hull coach Peter Sharp, in Australia to pursue Mason, said he hadn't managed to secure the forward's signature.

"No certainly not and unlikely to," he told Network Ten.

"Willie's a larger than life character and we suspect he'll stay in Sydney and play his football in Sydney."

But that development kept Cronulla in the hunt, as Sharp confirmed highly-paid Sharks prop Ben Ross was "on the radar".

A move by Ross to the English Super League would increase the Sharks' bidding power and salary cap room by around $400,000.

"We don't know where that's at at this stage ... yes (we'd be happy to release Ross), but we're also happy to keep him if that doesn't go ahead," Sharks boss Tony Zappia told AAP.

"That would enable us to make Willie an offer that's fair, (although) there might be other options."

Zappia said he was hoping to meet with Mason and his management team when the prop returned from interstate early next week.

In another development, Zappia and his Bulldogs counterpart Malcolm Noad both ruled out a straight swap between Sharks halfback Brett Kimmorley and Mason after the Dogs granted their halfback Brent Sherwin a release to take up a deal with English club Castleford.

"There's never been any discussions about Brett Kimmorley," Zappia said.

Noad said: "I can say, categorically that, despite Brett's experience, he is not being courted by the Bulldogs."

Mason, still in Melbourne for the Spring racing, could not resist another shot at the Bulldogs.

"In the last three years or so the culture of the club's changed but it's not for the good I don't think, so I think that's why a lot of players see the writing on the wall and they probably want out now," he told Nine.

? 2007 AAP