smoking_gun
New member
Lol @ only meeting this week…. Gotta love it though..
Willie mason ???
- Thread starter pezza103
- Start date
hybrid_tiger
Well-known member
@Ghost of skando said:
Who is calling him a saviour, you idiot? :crazy
happy_tiger
Well-known member
@smoking gun said:
Willie should know his way around the office by now and half the staff
He has been in a few times over the years
S
system
Guest
Be interesting to see what happens through all of this.
Either way it won't effect our lineup against the Raiders.
Side Note: I have finally worked out who Fifita reminds me of. Jarrod Hickey from the Bulldogs. Massive, skillfull, runs sideways, gets smashed in the centre
Either way it won't effect our lineup against the Raiders.
Side Note: I have finally worked out who Fifita reminds me of. Jarrod Hickey from the Bulldogs. Massive, skillfull, runs sideways, gets smashed in the centre
@Ghost of skando said:
Talk about contradicting yourself! :laughing:
All the players you mentioned now "signed at the moment because they can still play " got "chopped " by other teams too.
PS . Guess who else is also "signed at the moment because they can still play"?
PPS. No - one is calling him the messiah - just saying we could use a hulking big experienced forward at the moment.
Joel Helmes
Well-known member
From Fox Sports -
As Wests Tigers emerged as his most likely NRL saviour, Willie Mason revealed a desire to emulate former Canterbury-Bankstown teammate Steve Price and play into his mid-30s.
Almost two months of speculation surrounding Mason's comeback finally crystallised on Monday when Tigers boss Stephen Humphreys confirmed the joint-venture club was in talks to immediately sign the colourful 32-year-old.
The Daily Telegraph understands Tigers and Australia coach Tim Sheens initiated discussions about a two-year deal earlier this month.
There was originally some concern from figures above but two consecutive defeats in which young Tigers props Matt Groat and Aaron Woods were dominated appear to have quashed opposition to the former Blues enforcer heading to Concord.
The loss of international duo Gareth Ellis (cork) and Keith Galloway (toe) has weakened the Tigers' depth up front.
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Thanks to a concerted personal training regimen, Mason has dropped 5kg since returning to Australia in late January from an unfulfilling stint in French rugby.
The Daily Telegraph found him on Monday evening in Centennial Park, completing a one-hour session with sprint coach Roger Fabri.
Mason said he had always believed his NRL return would happen this year.
"It's not like I'm 36 and washed up," the 115kg prop said. "I've still got three years left in me. Pricey (Steve Price) was still running around when he was 35 and he'd have gone another year if not for injury.
"And then you look at Petero (Civoniceva). He's still going great at almost 36 as well. If I thought I was no good I could just retire and sink into some media work.
"But I want to play on and I've always believed I can still compete at the highest level."
Humphreys said the deal could be finalised as soon as this week - pending talks with sponsors, players and the NRL.
"People have said for months now that we are talking to Willie or have signed him," Humphreys said. "We haven't. But it is fair to say we have had some loose discussions with him over the last couple of weeks. I am not sure where it will go.
"I dare say in the next week or so we will come to some conclusion."
Mason was in a near-identical exile during the 2010 off-season, when Sydney Roosters coach Brian Smith cut him from Bondi Junction. He found an 11th-hour home at North Queensland Cowboys, where he played every game and represented Country Origin.
"That was a worse circumstance than this because I hadn't touched a football (in) six months," Mason said.
"And I went out and had one of my best seasons.
"This time I kept pretty fit in France and only had two weeks off when I came home."
Fabri admitted to having doubts about Mason's ability to regain his athleticism, but said he had progressed remarkably over the past month.
"I've trained a lot of the guys from the Bulldogs like Sonny Bill Williams, Braith Anasta, Reni Maitua, Willie Tonga and Mase," Fabri said.
"They all have an incredible work ethic and it clearly comes from the culture at that club about a decade ago.
"Willie's going really good. He probably wouldn't mind me saying that he has proved me wrong."
As Wests Tigers emerged as his most likely NRL saviour, Willie Mason revealed a desire to emulate former Canterbury-Bankstown teammate Steve Price and play into his mid-30s.
Almost two months of speculation surrounding Mason's comeback finally crystallised on Monday when Tigers boss Stephen Humphreys confirmed the joint-venture club was in talks to immediately sign the colourful 32-year-old.
The Daily Telegraph understands Tigers and Australia coach Tim Sheens initiated discussions about a two-year deal earlier this month.
There was originally some concern from figures above but two consecutive defeats in which young Tigers props Matt Groat and Aaron Woods were dominated appear to have quashed opposition to the former Blues enforcer heading to Concord.
The loss of international duo Gareth Ellis (cork) and Keith Galloway (toe) has weakened the Tigers' depth up front.
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\
\
Thanks to a concerted personal training regimen, Mason has dropped 5kg since returning to Australia in late January from an unfulfilling stint in French rugby.
The Daily Telegraph found him on Monday evening in Centennial Park, completing a one-hour session with sprint coach Roger Fabri.
Mason said he had always believed his NRL return would happen this year.
"It's not like I'm 36 and washed up," the 115kg prop said. "I've still got three years left in me. Pricey (Steve Price) was still running around when he was 35 and he'd have gone another year if not for injury.
"And then you look at Petero (Civoniceva). He's still going great at almost 36 as well. If I thought I was no good I could just retire and sink into some media work.
"But I want to play on and I've always believed I can still compete at the highest level."
Humphreys said the deal could be finalised as soon as this week - pending talks with sponsors, players and the NRL.
"People have said for months now that we are talking to Willie or have signed him," Humphreys said. "We haven't. But it is fair to say we have had some loose discussions with him over the last couple of weeks. I am not sure where it will go.
"I dare say in the next week or so we will come to some conclusion."
Mason was in a near-identical exile during the 2010 off-season, when Sydney Roosters coach Brian Smith cut him from Bondi Junction. He found an 11th-hour home at North Queensland Cowboys, where he played every game and represented Country Origin.
"That was a worse circumstance than this because I hadn't touched a football (in) six months," Mason said.
"And I went out and had one of my best seasons.
"This time I kept pretty fit in France and only had two weeks off when I came home."
Fabri admitted to having doubts about Mason's ability to regain his athleticism, but said he had progressed remarkably over the past month.
"I've trained a lot of the guys from the Bulldogs like Sonny Bill Williams, Braith Anasta, Reni Maitua, Willie Tonga and Mase," Fabri said.
"They all have an incredible work ethic and it clearly comes from the culture at that club about a decade ago.
"Willie's going really good. He probably wouldn't mind me saying that he has proved me wrong."
happy_tiger
Well-known member
Well Willie it looks inevitable that you are coming to our club whether we like it or not
So can you please , please ,please not do the following things
1/ Do anything that will embarrass our great club and its sponsors
2/ Don't slag off our players and coach in the press when things don't go the way you plan Remember there is no I in team
3/ Stay the hell away from your twitter account or show some control when you are on it
Look Willie I 'll never be your biggest fan , but if you show up train hard and play hard and do the right thing by the club You will earn a lot of our respect Possibly even mine
So can you please , please ,please not do the following things
1/ Do anything that will embarrass our great club and its sponsors
2/ Don't slag off our players and coach in the press when things don't go the way you plan Remember there is no I in team
3/ Stay the hell away from your twitter account or show some control when you are on it
Look Willie I 'll never be your biggest fan , but if you show up train hard and play hard and do the right thing by the club You will earn a lot of our respect Possibly even mine
Masterstroke …. Great work by Tim and Stephen to bring Big Willie to the Tigers. He will really add something to our pack which does look a bit light without Galloway, Ellis and the losses from last year. Hopefully he will be a mentor to Groat and Woods who I believe have higher honors written all over them.
Fraze23
Well-known member
Whats the point of signing him to put him in reserve grade? Throw him straight in!
S
system
Guest
We have one of the most complicated systems in the game.
By the time he is cleared to play (if he signs) it would leave him zero time to learn anything we do.
Save him for Souffs
By the time he is cleared to play (if he signs) it would leave him zero time to learn anything we do.
Save him for Souffs
happy_tiger
Well-known member
@smeghead said:
Yeag agree Smeg The other issue would be if we got some injuries and we needed to rely on Mason for big minutes He couldn't cope fitness wise imo
GNR4LIFE
Well-known member
We need him so Sheens probably won't play him
hybrid_tiger
Well-known member
@happy tiger said:
Happy, Mason's biggest crime in the last few seasons is that he was caught pissing against a wall after a night out.
Certainly nothing like, say, Lui, Gibbs or Payten levels of shame brought on the club now, is it?
