So whose winning - us or Willie?

[Guest]

Who do you think is winning the battle of the wills, us or Willie?

I keep reading he has us over a barrel but that we're standing firm about him never playing for us again...

Can we take a win out of the situation? If we pay him 400K to play reserves is that a win? If we let him walk away with nothing only to bite us on the arse is that a win? Look at what happen to Funch last year, left the Eels at the start then won a ring with Melbourne.

Has Mason really done that much wrong that we will cut off our nose to spite our face?

Confused.

Chook.

[Guest]

Neither of them is winning

[Guest]

My question is this...

If Smith is such a good coach & instills such discipline into his playing squads, then why hasn't he even tried to pull Willie into line?

If the club obviously doesn't want him, but given his potential & the fact that we're stuck with him for the year, then why not let Smith try & get the best out of him?

If he cant turn him around on & off the field then fine send him to the jets for the rest of the year, but to not even try is wasting a massive amount of money & a player that on his day can get the team over the line in a tight game or blow the opposition out of the water early on.

He's had a couple of match winning games for us under crap coaching, why not try to get him to perform for us this year? he'll be playing for a contract & if that cant lift the bloke then nothing can.

[TheLoneRooster]

Neither of them is winning

Agreed, what we have here is a stalemate.

[Guest]

My question is this...

If Smith is such a good coach & instills such discipline into his playing squads, then why hasn't he even tried to pull Willie into line?

If the club obviously doesn't want him, but given his potential & the fact that we're stuck with him for the year, then why not let Smith try & get the best out of him?

If he cant turn him around on & off the field then fine send him to the jets for the rest of the year, but to not even try is wasting a massive amount of money & a player that on his day can get the team over the line in a tight game or blow the opposition out of the water early on.

He's had a couple of match winning games for us under crap coaching, why not try to get him to perform for us this year? he'll be playing for a contract & if that cant lift the bloke then nothing can.

maybe because smith doesnt want him no matter what

[Guest]

My question is this...

If Smith is such a good coach & instills such discipline into his playing squads, then why hasn't he even tried to pull Willie into line?

If the club obviously doesn't want him, but given his potential & the fact that we're stuck with him for the year, then why not let Smith try & get the best out of him?

If he cant turn him around on & off the field then fine send him to the jets for the rest of the year, but to not even try is wasting a massive amount of money & a player that on his day can get the team over the line in a tight game or blow the opposition out of the water early on.

He's had a couple of match winning games for us under crap coaching, why not try to get him to perform for us this year? he'll be playing for a contract & if that cant lift the bloke then nothing can.

This is my way of thinking as well.

At the moment we have a debacle! Sure we may be standing on the moral high ground, but morals have rarely, if ever, won a football match and isn't that what our club is suppose to be trying to do?

I say let Willie play NRL at the Roosters. Give Smith a chance to change him and if he can't then piss him off to the reserves. But to have %10 of your cap sitting purposely on it's arse not doing anything is a waste of resources imo.

Chook.

[Guest]

This is my way of thinking as well.

At the moment we have a debacle! Sure we may be standing on the moral high ground, but morals have rarely, if ever, won a football match and isn't that what our club is suppose to be trying to do?

I say let Willie play NRL at the Roosters. Give Smith a chance to change him and if he can't then piss him off to the reserves. But to have %10 of your cap sitting purposely on it's arse not doing anything is a waste of resources imo.

Chook.

The only conclusion is that he's done something seriously bad and that either the club can't prove it and subsequently tear up his contract or the club doesn't want whatever it is raised publicly

[novice chook]

It's ultimately a no-win situation for both sides.

It appears that no other NRL team is prepared to take on the risk of Mason and his persona. If nothing else, the stance the Roosters have taken on this bloke has made any other Club CEO and board nervous about taking a risk on him. Other Clubs' coaches, players and hangers-on may want him in the team, but the people who count don't. And they are the ones who OK the deals.

So the Roosters will end up paying Mason for nothing, and Mason will struggle to get a secure a worthwhile deal in the NRL.

Everyone loses. But at least the Roosters loss is only short term.

Not sure if you can say the same about's Mason's apparent loss of reputation/creditbility.


NC

[Pass the Ball]

The only conclusion is that he's done something seriously bad and that either the club can't prove it and subsequently tear up his contract or the club doesn't want whatever it is raised publicly

Ding Ding Ding we have a winner...

My opinion..

Each day that goes by our hand gets better and better...

It has been decided at the top he will not play for Easts again..

Worst case scenario for easts is we pay him $400K to play for Bondi United..That has already been accepted by the powers that be..Any improvement on this would be a win for the club..

It is not quite as simple as "just get him to training and play with the team"..

We are dealing with Willie Mason here..He was a huge mistake that has blown up in our face...

Time to move on..If it wasn't for the Daily Telegraph putting him on the front and back page every week he would already be a forgotten man..

[Guest]

Like i said before in another post a few weeks back, I am enjoying this because the scumbag bludger doesnt deserve anything better.

Didnt he want to go play gridiron or become a pro boxer or do some other sports a few years back? Now's his chance.

[Guest]

It's too late to turn around and say to him that he will run in firsts this year. Cut the losses and be on with it. Think of it this way, he has no future at this club, why not blood some young players who are the future of this club?

Remember, short term pain for long term gain.

[Spirit of 66]

Ding Ding Ding we have a winner...

My opinion..

Each day that goes by our hand gets better and better...

It has been decided at the top he will not play for Easts again..

Worst case scenario for easts is we pay him $400K to play for Bondi United..That has already been accepted by the powers that be..Any improvement on this would be a win for the club..

It is not quite as simple as "just get him to training and play with the team"..

We are dealing with Willie Mason here..He was a huge mistake that has blown up in our face...

Time to move on..If it wasn't for the Daily Telegraph putting him on the front and back page every week he would already be a forgotten man..

I suspect we won't hear the full story until he is long gone. If playing the year with a minus $400K salary cap handicap is considered worth it by the powers that be, then Mason must be a very, very poisonous influence indeed.

[Guest]

The only conclusion is that he's done something seriously bad and that either the club can't prove it and subsequently tear up his contract or the club doesn't want whatever it is raised publicly

Apparantly Politis wants him out because he's a bad influence on the younger players. Once he makes up his mind that's it.

I've been hearing Manly a lot lately. Even on the news this morning.

[Guest]

Agreed, what we have here is a stalemate.

There is no stalemate at all.

We don't want him.

We will pay him to sit on the sidelines.

We will pay most of his contract to play elsewhere.

It says a lot that no club is willing to pick him up for the same they would have to pay a rookie.

[Guest]

Apparantly Politis wants him out because he's a bad influence on the younger players. Once he makes up his mind that's it.


He must have done more than just be "a bad influence"


I've been hearing Manly a lot lately. Even on the news this morning.

Manly have said not interested