Latest News Willie Mason set to join UK Super League
| Willie Mason set to join UK Super League |
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| Thursday, 02 September 2010 06:18 |
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By Peter Badel - Willie Mason's colourful 10-year career in the NRL is all but over, with the Cowboys conceding they will struggle to match offers from Britain's Super League. On the day Cowboys prop Carl Webb confirmed his exit to Parramatta next season, North Queensland football operations chief Peter Parr revealed Mason was at long odds to remain in Townsville next year.
Cowboys coach Neil Henry has been pleased with Mason's contribution - he has played every game this season - and the club has entertained offering the former Test hardman an extension in 2011.
But with Super League clubs Hull KR and Huddersfield prepared to table more lucrative three-year deals, the Cowboys expect Mason to finish his career offshore. The 30-year-old is expected to announce his departure in the next week. Ironically, Mason's NRL tenure is set to end this Saturday night against the Roosters - the club that happily jettisoned him to the Cowboys in January. "I need to have another chat with Willie but England is progressing well for him and it will be a struggle for us to keep him money-wise and in terms of tenure," Parr said. "There's a fair bit of money from England and Willie could well get a longer-term offer, which we may not be prepared to match. "A two-year deal would probably be our maximum. "We're under no illusions. We agreed to a one-year deal (this season) and we gave him no guarantees past that and he gave us no guarantees past that. "He said he'd come here and be committed to the club, which he has done, and he wanted to prove to people he could cut it in the NRL, and I think he's done that without a shadow of a doubt. "It's been a win-win for both of us but no one was under any illusions it would last longer than a year." Mason told the Hull Daily Mail on Sunday: "Hull KR is definitely a team I would like to play for. I definitely want to come to Super League." Webb has set his sights on reclaiming his Queensland State of Origin jumper after signing a two-year deal with the Eels. As revealed by The Courier-Mail, Webb opted for Parramatta over the Knights, citing a desire to play alongside Jarryd Hayne and Nathan Hindmarsh. "I think the change will be good for me," said Webb, who last played for the Maroons in 2008. "It's definitely the goal I'm aiming for. "I want my Origin jersey back and I want to give myself an opportunity to represent at all levels." |