KEY POINTS:
It's still six months away but the Bulldogs-Sydney Roosters opening clash of the 2008 premiership is already shaping as one of the biggest grudge matches in NRL history.
After a fortnight of trading barbs, new Roosters recruit Willie Mason elevated his bitter feud with the Dogs to a whole new level after launching a vitriolic spray at his former NRL coach Steve Folkes.
The Dogs simply copped the attack without firing a shot back in reply.
But their silence did nothing to quell the fury of the very public spat which already has rugby league fans licking their lips in anticipation of the Dogs-Roosters round four showdown at Telstra Stadium in early April.
Dogs supporters are already planning their response to Mason's defection, urging fans to "turn your back on the man who turned his on us".
Mason signed a three-year deal with the Roosters last week after falling out with the Bulldogs over a planned boxing bout and alleged sponsorship breaches and no-shows at Dogs functions.
But while his move from Belmore to Bondi is finally complete, the battle between Mason and the Dogs shows no sign of slowing down after the Test forward branded Folkes a poor coach who had lost the respect of his players and had taught him nothing in 10 years.
"He had the best roster in the game for six or seven years and we only won one comp - the only reason we won was because of the players, not him," Mason wrote in his Sun-Herald newspaper column.
"We should have won four comps in that time, not one. If we had a decent coach like Brad Fittler, Ricky Stuart or Craig Bellamy, I'd be sitting back with four premiership rings, not one.
"The only reason I became a better player was because I dealt with great coaches like Wayne Bennett and Ricky Stuart at rep level. That's the only time I learned anything."
Mason claimed he had held back in attacking Folkes after signing with the Roosters but said the gloves were off after the coach "bagged him" on Friday.
Folkes said the Dogs would be better off without their former star, but was unavailable for comment on Sunday with the Dogs closing ranks on the Mason issue.
Chief executive Malcolm Noad was also unavailable, with a spokesman saying the Dogs had no comment to make on the explosive column other than to say "the club is moving on".
Mason went further than just criticising Folkes' coaching abilities, with his attack becoming personal.
"Nobody wants to be coached by him because he's the most unapproachable, boring man I've ever met," Mason wrote.
"A few of the boys have rung me during the week and said going to training was like going to a funeral. It's terrible.
"There's nothing there, none of the boys know each other. That bond that we had for five or six years together is gone.
"Ask him if he's got one mate in the whole world. Even guys who played with him in the 1980s say he has no personality."
Mason was particularly incensed with Folkes' claim he had been a bad influence on teammates because he "wasn't prepared to fall in line and do some of the things he was requested to do".
In reply, Mason wrote: "I can't believe he called me a bad influence on the younger players - I've been a good influence on those kids.
"He wouldn't have half the team there if it wasn't for me. We'll see what influence he has when half his team leaves next year. Then you'll see what type of influence I had over the club.
"There were reports that the players wanted him gone - those reports are true.
"Almost all the players don't want him there."
- AAP
