League: Bulldogs' cult figure eyes switch to rugby

Auckland-born Bulldogs forward Willie Mason is again talking about a switch to rugby as contract negotiations with the National Rugby League premiers flounder.
Off contract at the end of the season, Mason said he wanted to become the first league forward to make it as a Wallaby.

"If I'm ever going to union I've got to go now. I probably couldn't wait any longer at my age [24]. The 2007 Rugby World Cup looks pretty good," said Mason, who reckoned he would fit the bill as a blindside flanker.

Mason said the international dimension of rugby union, not money, was the main attraction.

"I'm pretty good mates with [union converts] Wendell Sailor and Lote Tuqiri. They just have a ball - they play all around the world. It'd be pretty exciting doing that.

"League is very limited in that area: it's not an international game like union," said Mason, who is sidelined until June after suffering a leg injury against the United States in Philadelphia late last year.

Mason, a cult figure at the Bulldogs and man of the match in last year's grand final, was confident he could handle the nuances of rugby forward play. "Union's a lot more technical, I suppose - just a new challenge, really.

"I'd be challenging myself, because there's no guarantee you can just walk into a Wallaby side. You'd have to work pretty hard ... It's a whole different game, a whole different concept, the way they play, the way they train," he told the Sunday Telegraph newspaper.

"I suppose I'm a different sort of player from the other forwards that went over to union. I don't play the same as [former Crusaders player] Brad Thorn or [ex Southland and Brumbies] Peter Ryan - I'm totally different.

"I'm probably more suited to union. I thought Brad Thorn could have done a lot better. That's what scares me a bit ... He played for the All Blacks, which is great, but I reckon he could have killed it in union if they had given him the ball more."

While Mason talked up his interest in the 15-man code, Wallabies coach Eddie Jones was not about to roll out the red carpet.

Jones said Mason would have to start playing club rugby "next weekend" if he was serious about switching codes. "At the moment, we just aren't interested," Jones said.

"It would be incredibly difficult for Mason to make the switch, especially if he had his sights set on being in the Wallabies' 2007 World Cup plans. He'd almost have to start playing now if he was serious about it.

- NZPA