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"WILLIE Mason is hardly worried about the abuse he will cop from the Roosters faithful at the Sydney Football Stadium tomorrow night.
"There will only be 7000 there on a Monday, so it's hardly a huge build-up," Mason quipped yesterday.
Mason expects to be public enemy No 1 - again - when he runs out for the Cowboys against his former club.
And he was at his wise-cracking best before the showdown with the club that punted him at the start of the year, revealing:
* He has no ill feelings towards any of the Roosters board and remains in contact with chairman Nick Politis;
* His famous "fat blokes in suits" comments was not directed at the Roosters board and only upset "fat blokes in suits - all the fit dudes didn't care";
* Todd Carney was a classy player who needed to be shut down;
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* His knee was fully recovered and there was no reason his best football was not ahead of him;
* Salary-cap dramas and Test football had not taken any of the limelight off his Roosters showdown.
Mason, who showed he remains popular in Sydney as he posed for photos with fans at the airport, said he had given no thought about his Bondi Junction homecoming.
"It's just another game for me," Mason said. "I'm sure the fans will give it to me. If they're not my home fans, most other fans give it to me anyway, so I'm not expecting anything less. It will take a lot to get under my skin.
"I didn't leave under bitter circumstances, I've got nothing against the club and they've got nothing against me.
"I'm still good mates with all the boys and administration, and I still speak with Nick a lot.
"Brian (Smith) has watched me play for 11 years, he knows what I can do, but I've got nothing to prove to him, the Roosters or anyone else."
Mason, who enjoyed dinner with Carney and Roosters enforcer Nate Myles last night, said he had regained fitness and was keen to force his way into the Blues side for the Origin opener on May 26.
He knows his huge price tag always brought expectation at the Roosters, something he failed to live up to because of injury.
"I didn't think I was up to playing at that level, Origin or City-Country, at any stage last year," Mason said.
"But anyone who has had a knee operation knows it takes 18 months before you're back to your normal ability, and it's about that time now for me. I feel I'm back to playing at nearly my best.
"I'm excited about going forward and playing good football and those (rep) jerseys come with playing good football. I can only get better."
Roosters fullback Anthony Minichiello, who faced Mason on Friday night in the City-Country clash, said of tomorrow's match: "He is a funny bloke, we certainly miss him around the club, but I'm sure the fans will like to say some words.
"When people change teams they have friendly banter, but it won't faze Willie. He'll just laugh it off."
"There will only be 7000 there on a Monday, so it's hardly a huge build-up," Mason quipped yesterday.
Mason expects to be public enemy No 1 - again - when he runs out for the Cowboys against his former club.
And he was at his wise-cracking best before the showdown with the club that punted him at the start of the year, revealing:
* He has no ill feelings towards any of the Roosters board and remains in contact with chairman Nick Politis;
* His famous "fat blokes in suits" comments was not directed at the Roosters board and only upset "fat blokes in suits - all the fit dudes didn't care";
* Todd Carney was a classy player who needed to be shut down;
Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.
End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.
* His knee was fully recovered and there was no reason his best football was not ahead of him;
* Salary-cap dramas and Test football had not taken any of the limelight off his Roosters showdown.
Mason, who showed he remains popular in Sydney as he posed for photos with fans at the airport, said he had given no thought about his Bondi Junction homecoming.
"It's just another game for me," Mason said. "I'm sure the fans will give it to me. If they're not my home fans, most other fans give it to me anyway, so I'm not expecting anything less. It will take a lot to get under my skin.
"I didn't leave under bitter circumstances, I've got nothing against the club and they've got nothing against me.
"I'm still good mates with all the boys and administration, and I still speak with Nick a lot.
"Brian (Smith) has watched me play for 11 years, he knows what I can do, but I've got nothing to prove to him, the Roosters or anyone else."
Mason, who enjoyed dinner with Carney and Roosters enforcer Nate Myles last night, said he had regained fitness and was keen to force his way into the Blues side for the Origin opener on May 26.
He knows his huge price tag always brought expectation at the Roosters, something he failed to live up to because of injury.
"I didn't think I was up to playing at that level, Origin or City-Country, at any stage last year," Mason said.
"But anyone who has had a knee operation knows it takes 18 months before you're back to your normal ability, and it's about that time now for me. I feel I'm back to playing at nearly my best.
"I'm excited about going forward and playing good football and those (rep) jerseys come with playing good football. I can only get better."
Roosters fullback Anthony Minichiello, who faced Mason on Friday night in the City-Country clash, said of tomorrow's match: "He is a funny bloke, we certainly miss him around the club, but I'm sure the fans will like to say some words.
"When people change teams they have friendly banter, but it won't faze Willie. He'll just laugh it off."
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