League: Bulldogs play the injury games

Will he or won't he?

The question of whether big Willie Mason will play in his first game for the for the Bulldogs in nearly seven months was occupying both teams ahead of the encounter at Ericsson Stadium on Sunday.

It's a game of politics. The Dogs aren't saying whether or not their 115kg, 1.95m Auckland-born juggernaut will be pulling his boots on, but they have booked him a ticket to fly to Auckland.

Mason suffered a foot injury when playing a spread-the-creed game against the United States Eagles in Philadelphia at the end of last year's Tri-Nations, a problem that has raised angst at the Bulldogs ever since. He had been expected to return in round 20 but has been running with the team this week.

Also in the frame for the Bulldogs is another New Zealand-linked player plagued by injury, bench utility Reni Maitua, who has been out with a knee problem but is also about to return.

There were contrasting and conflicting predictions from the two clubs yesterday as they ran the confusion and interference line.

Bulldogs football manager Bradley Clyde was cagey on the chances of either Mason or Maitua running out on Ericsson turf on Sunday. "Willie is travelling with the team but it's more to get him back into the routine, he's probably not going to be ready for another couple of weeks."

The Warriors: "If they have any chance of playing them [Mason and Maitua], they will. They're in the situation where they have to look at it."

The Bulldogs are on 17 competition points and have had four of those from two byes, the Warriors are on 16 and have two points to come from the bye in the last round.

The Dogs have won one of six games at Ericsson over the years. The Warriors' record at home this season is four-four, the Dogs' away record is three-three.

The teams appear to like playing each other. The score is usually close, bar the thrashing the Warriors copped from the Dogs last season and the thrashing the Dogs copped from the Warriors in the 2003 playoffs.

A player like Mason could be the difference. Clyde: "It would take an extraordinary incident for him to play. We've just signed him for four years, he's been out for the last six months. Do you think we're going to risk him?"

The Warriors: "We're expecting he's a better than 50/50 chance and preparing that way."

Maybe the best way to be a judge of whether either Mason or Maitua will front on Sunday will be to witness the Bulldogs training session at the Ericsson number two ground on Saturday.

Dogs five-eighth Braith Anasta will be wondering which club he's going to sign for next season - the Roosters or Souths.

"We made it clear to Braith and Willie and their managers that we could not keep both," Clyde said. "We won't be able to keep Braith unless he is prepared to accept ... "

The un-said is "a lot less than what the others are offering".

The Dogs have secured captain Andrew Ryan, centre Willie Tonga, raging prospect Sonny Bill Williams, State of Origin prop Mark O'Meley, Kiwi prop Roy Asotasi, halves/hookers Adam Perry and Corey Hughes, Maitua and Mason.

Kiwi centre Jamaal Lolesi is expected to announce he has signed with Hull for 2006 and the new Gold Coast club from 2007.

The Warriors top side had an opposed session against their development squad in the wet yesterday. They had no injury worries afterwards, apparently. Though who knows what politics might be played out.