Oracle of Delphi
ArnoldRoosters, Sharks or Dragons for Mason?
November 10th 2007 06:30
Who will Willie Mason be playing for next season?
Canterbury Bulldogs have given want-away bad boy Willie Mason permission to negotiate with other clubs after a crisis meeting on Wednesday.
The influential forward has since been the subject of a tug-of-war between the Roosters and the Sharks but the Dragons have emerged out of nowhere to be amongst one of the favourites to sign the Australian international. English club Wigan have also expressed their interest in his services.
Sydney Roosters in the affluent Eastern Suburbs remain favourites to sign Mason with officials at the Bondi Junction club, including coach Brad Fittler, scratching their heads to find a palatable deal for the club and player.
The frontrunners to sign bad boy Willie Mason?
However, their efforts have been thwarted by their inability to find a club for prop David Shillington - the player most likely to make way for Mason's arrival.
Amongst other things is the matter of salary cap issues and whether the player, who is reportedly on $450,000 a season, would be willing to take a pay cut.
Taking a pay cut seems to be the least of Mason's worries when he briefly spoke to the media today.
"I don't think there's been a player that has come off contract a week before they start training, so it's a weird situation and I know that everybody has now got their roster settled and it's going to be hard to squeeze a player like myself into their roster," Mason said.
"So I know I'm going to have to take a pay cut and I'm willing to do that." said Mason.
Expect an announcement to be made sometime next week.
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