Willie Mason to Storm?

[Ice]

Mason?

Don't want him, don't need him!

Many said we didn't need Finchy either but arguably we couldn't/wouldn't have won the premiership without him. Everyone has perceptions of different players though. I'm with Simo, if our coach wants him or any other player then i'm 100% behind him know matter what my opinion is of the player.

[Surandy]

Mason?

Don't want him, don't need him!

Many said we didn't need Finchy either but arguably we couldn't/wouldn't have won the premiership without him. Everyone has perceptions of different players though. I'm with Simo, if our coach wants him or any other player then i'm 100% behind him know matter what my opinion is of the player.

Finch was a different kettle of fish, we didn't have a dedicated 5/8th so many were happy to sit back and see how he went.

On the other hand Mason is not needed on the field and definitely a liability off the field.

[Ice]

On the other hand Mason is not needed on the field and definitely a liability off the field.

Deja vu. We heard the exact same thing about Crock as well.

[Surandy]

On the other hand Mason is not needed on the field and definitely a liability off the field.

Deja vu. We heard the exact same thing about Crock as well.

Speaking of deja vu I read the same comments about Arana Taumata and gee that was a great buy for us.

[Ice]

Speaking of deja vu I read the same comments about Arana Taumata and gee that was a great buy for us.

Not sure why that's deja vu thehy're absolutely nothing alike. Arana is a young kid with a shitload of potential but as yet has proven and shown sweet FA in the big time. Crock and Mason are both Australian players, both Origin players for their respective states, both previous premiership players before they joined (if it happens) our club and both had several indescretions on and off the field that gave them bad boy reputations from their own supporters and opposition ones as well. Now there's some deja vu right there.

[Super Cronk]

Crock was nowhere near as bad as Mason is tho. And Mason is rubbish on the field. Crock was still half decent when he came to us.

[Ice]

Crock was nowhere near as bad as Mason is tho. And Mason is rubbish on the field. Crock was still half decent when he came to us.

Before i get myself in too much trouble i'll say that Crock is in my all time top 5 Storm players and i've never been a fan of Mason but in the interset of fairness i'm not blind enough to see his past sins. He (Crock) wasn't granted a Visa to play in England because of past indescretions and Mason could so i'm not sure how you get that mason isn't anywhere near bad as him. Mason has also been injured for the best part of 2 years so that might explain why he hasn't been at his best. It still doesn't change that he's a Kangaroo, an Origin and premiership player no matter how much you'd like to ignore that.

Anyway we don't even know if it's going to happen, but if it does and he turns out to be a good buy for us can we expect you to come back with your tail between your legs like you did with Finchy saying how wrong you were after being the most vocal Storm supporter there was against signing him?

[Anonymous]

Braith Anasta has played for his state....

Injury or not Mason hasn't shown anything for a very long time. All size...and thats it. BTW Mason might be allowed to play in the UK...but that doesnt mean he isnt the biggest knob head you will ever meet in your life. Crock is one of the nicest players i have ever met .

[Ice]

We're talking about Crocker and Mason here. Danny Williams is the nicest bloke i've ever met off the field and i'm sure many can vouch for that who've had a drink or 20 with him which i'm sure many of us here have but lets be honest, he was far from the nicest bloke on the field so your point is actually pointless. The fact is Crocker came to us with a troubled past both on and off the field and many said he was past his best as well but a change of scenery, the club, the players and more importantly the coach turned him around to help make him the player he was for us. Awesome.

The bottom line is and regardless of what any of us say or think, if our coach wants Mason, the best coach there is in the business then i'm right behind him and i'll back him all the way regardless of what i think of the player. Some might argue that he doesn't always get it right but lets get fair dinkum, those few he's missed the m,ark with have been fringe first graders at best that couldn't get a game at previous clubs so they were no loss to us anyway when they didn't make it. That said he's turned around many many  more of those fringe first graders and made them into solid first graders and even premiership players for us. If he can do that with them then i have the utmost faith he can do that with what Mason.

You talk about nice blokes off the field, do you honestly think Bellyache would be chasing him if he didn't think he was a good bloke and a bloke who couldn't help us win another premiership? He obviously doesn't suffer fools and if he thought he wouldn't be good for us he wouldn't even contemplate recruiting him. I'll stick with the bloke who knows him and has coached him as opposed to someone that knows sweet FA about. I mean lets face it, if you weere our head recriter we wouldn't have won our 3rd premiership because as mentioned you were the most vocal supporter against recruiting Finchy and that's even after we needed a 5/8. I think you oput that one down to character as well......

Fair dinkum the lack of faith in both our coach and club in general is disgraceful given where they've taken us and what they've given us especially after the dark Muppett Murray years. But everyone's an expert i guess....well i know i'm not and that's exactly why i'm happy to leave these decisions to others that know much better.

[Anonymous]

woah.

Yeah because Bellamy is our coach that means i cannot have an opinion on a player, and because Craig is our coach that means EVERY SINGLE DECISION HE HAS EVER MADE HAS BEEN 100% SPOT ON? . It has nothing to do with my faith in our club or coach. No way do i think Craig would do something to intentionally hurt our club...he loves the club more then anything. But i personally (from my experinces) hate Mason. Ofcourse Willie doesnt act like a dickhead around Craig...he probably sucks upto him! I dont claim to be an expert....i just voiced my opinion...didnt say my opinion was more valid than yours or Bellamys.


Hey im glad to eat humble pie re: Finchy. From what i had seen from Finch prior to coming to us wasnt anything spectacular. And to be honest he still hasnt done anything spectaclular...but he certainly played a vital role in our PSHIP winning team in 09.

I hate people that get on their high horse and say "you cant have an opinion....the coach KNOWS EVERYTHING about EVERYTHING...." ...We are supporters thats our job....i love the club as much as anyone...and i have a right to voice my opinion about what ever the fu.ck i like.


Im happy to leave the decisions to the guys in charge aswell. Your right im not a coach...im a supporter having my say. I dont like Mason ...i think he is rubbish on field, he is a rude prick off field. The club have said they are not buying him....no need to get your knickers in a knot.

difference is...ill stick my neck out and voice my opinion. If im wrong ill admit it. You sit on the fence...and then when someone is wrong you come out, in hindsight, and rub it in their face. Well good on ya champ...you know more than me...want a medal?

[Surandy]

Speaking of deja vu I read the same comments about Arana Taumata and gee that was a great buy for us.

Not sure why that's deja vu thehy're absolutely nothing alike.

They are very much alike in that they are players that were talked about being signed by the club and people on here, and elsewhere, criticised the club over.

If you want to have a go at people for voicing their opinions about Mason and say that the coach knows best then you shouldn't be so selective about it. Have you never criticised the signing of a player or the selection of the team by Bellyache? Are you Bellyache in disguise perhaps?

[Scooter]

I would hope that we have not signed a 29 year old has been, way past his prime, when we have let go Scott Anderson, Will Chambers, Dallas Johnson and Steve Turner from our premiership side.

Mason looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane's baby sister watching a horror movie, jumps at everything coming at him and I feel sorry for whoever washes his shorts.

I think there is every chance that Willie Mason could return to something close to his peak on the field under the tutelage of Craig Bellamy and in Melbourne where his every move wont be highlighted by the spotlight. He may also want to impress Bellamy up close and personal to get back in the NSW side. If he was able to get anywhere near his best damaging running style of play it would be a plus for the Storm.

I agree he is a bit of an idiot off the field but think it is a risk worth taking.

I would take even a "has been" Mason over Scott Anderson any day of the week. As for Chambers, if I remember rightly we offered him a deal and he chose to play union instead. As for DJ considering the uncompromising service he has given the Storm, the club could not begrudge his request to head to France. Unfortunately we couldn't offer Turner a deal anywhere near what he is worth.

We should be able to cover the loss of Chambers and Turner with the recruitment of Chase Stanley, (a hopefully fit) Luke McDougall on a bargain basement deal, the return from injury of Quinny and those promoted from the under 20s: O'Neill, Duffie and Widdop. Todd Lowrie is quite a solid replacement for DJ, although not to DJ's standard, and Billy Rogers is a DJ clone if ever I saw one.

As for Scott Anderson, guys like Bromwich and Kite and the return of Sika Manu from injury will be able to cover his spot on the bench.

[Play the ball]

bit of a cliche , but opinions are like arseholes, we all have them .

And yes, we should all be entitled to them ,

Mine is, if we can get him at a bargain price, we would be crazy not to roll the dice on him.

yep,  he has been a dick, but at his best,  he can play a bit, automatic selection for quite a period of time for Aus and NSW is enough proof of that,

If its rock bottom price , he could be the buy of the season.

I would'nt read too much into his form, a knee injury on a big man can take a while, he should be close to regaining full strength in it.

As long as its costing us nothing (that is the key in my opinion ) we lose nothing if he stuffs up, just show him the door.

He cant ruin our culture, its the best going around.

[Taliesin]

Fair dinkum the lack of faith in both our coach and club in general is disgraceful given where they've taken us and what they've given us especially after the dark Muppett Murray years. But everyone's an expert i guess....well i know i'm not and that's exactly why i'm happy to leave these decisions to others that know much better.

So why spend more time defending & talking up Mason than his agent does 

A dislike of Mason & the reported bad example he set for the Roosters 'younger players' is not the same as having a 'lack of faith' in the coach or the club.

[Super Cronk]

bit of a cliche , but opinions are like arseholes, we all have them .

And yes, we should all be entitled to them ,

Mine is, if we can get him at a bargain price, we would be crazy not to roll the dice on him.

yep,  he has been a dick, but at his best,  he can play a bit, automatic selection for quite a period of time for Aus and NSW is enough proof of that,

If its rock bottom price , he could be the buy of the season.

I would'nt read too much into his form, a knee injury on a big man can take a while, he should be close to regaining full strength in it.

As long as its costing us nothing (that is the key in my opinion ) we lose nothing if he stuffs up, just show him the door.

He cant ruin our culture, its the best going around.

Im a fan of giving the young guys a go. Jesse Bromwich has played his backside off....if we sign Mason that means Jesse Bromwich misses a chance at first grade....how long is he going to be willing to sit in the reserve grade before he says "stuff this im leaving".