Willie Mason parts ways with Hull KR – Rugby news
British professional rugby league football club, Hull Kingston Rovers (Hull KR), has announced that their second row forward, Willie Mason, has left the club. The statement posted on Saturday, May 21st read, “Willie Mason has left Hull Kingston
Rovers with immediate effect.”
The development came as a surprise particularly as Mason arrived at Hull KR just six months ago to compete in the Super League. The statement further read, “The club will be making no further comment at this time.”
Hull KR is currently on ninth position in the league table. They have won five of the 14 games they have played in the season and have secured 10 points so far in this year’s Super League competition.
Auckland Born Mason signed a two-year deal with an option of extending it by a year. Earlier in April 2011, Hull KR de-registered him after he failed to provide the Tongan passport to the authorities. Tongan passport would have helped the Hull KR to take
him off their overseas quota.
Mason followed it with a trip to France to meet the French Top 14 side Toulon’s officials. Reports are that Toulon has offered a massive £395,000 contract to Mason. Hull KR believes that Mason has negotiated on most of the elements of the contract. Club
Officials believe that Mason was in contact with the Toulon Officials before he signed a two-year deal with Hull KR.
Mason is 6 feet 4 inch tall and weighs 115 kg and has played 6 games for Hull KR. Mason’s major performance for Hull KR came in their game against the Crusaders in which he won the Man of the Match award.
Mason started his senior professional rugby for Canterbury Bulldogs. He played 148 games for Bulldogs and scored 36 tries in six seasons. He left Bulldogs at the end of the 2007 season and signed with Sydney Roosters for 2008/09 season.
He played two seasons for Roosters making 40 appearances and scoring 32 points with all points coming from tries. In 2010, he represented North Queensland in 24 games before making his Northern Hemisphere switch to Hull KR.
Before making his international debut for Australia in 2002, mason played three games for Tonga. Mason has played 29 games for Australia and in addition to this played 13 State of Origin games for New South Wales.
Following the breach in his contract, Hull KR has already stopped Mason's pay. Hull KR is expecting to recover the expenses incurred on Mason from Toulon.
Tags: