The word enigma can be defined as: a person of puzzling or contradictory character. Never has this been more true of Australia's Willie Mason.Hull Kingston Rovers announced on Saturday that they had released Mason just six games into a possible three-year contract. Since then the Australian has moved to sign for French Top 14 giants Toulon.
Mason signed for Hull KR in the winter but hopes of their marquee signing arriving in the country in time for the start of the new Engage Super League were stunted by his inability to obtain a Tongan passport.
This Tongan passport would allow for Rovers officials to register Mason as a non-overseas player. Thus allowing head coach Justin Morgan to select the likes of Blake Green, Michael Dobson, Ben Galea and Clint Newton all in the same squad.
Unfortunately for both Rovers and Mason he was unable to obtain the passport, only an injury to lynch-pin stand-off Michael Dobson giving the club the ability to play their big-money signing.
The former North Queensland Cowboy made an immediate impact in the 40-22 home defeat of the Crusaders, a performance that saw Mason pick up the man of the match award.
Since then for both Mason and the club his performances and relationship with officials at Craven Park have been on a downward spiral.
Last month rumours surfaced that Mason had travelled to the continent to discuss a move to France. Since then it has been discovered that Mason may even have met with Toulon officials before he signed for Rovers.
Toulon reportedly have offered Mason a deal that will see him earn up to £400,000 a year, four times what he was set to pocket at Hull KR. The Challenge Cup quarter finalists hope to reclaim any wages paid via compensation from Toulon.
This farcical turn of events that are set to see Mason move to to France are not too dissimilar to those of former Canterbury Bulldogs teammate Sonny Bill Williams. His desire for a move to rugby union and Toulon saw him banned from the NRL for breach of contract and the French Top 14 forced to compensate his previous employers.
The proverbial plot thickens with the announcement that the 24-cap Australian forward will make his rugby union debut for the Barbarian against England on Sunday.
Mason admitted his excitement at the challenge to the Sydney Morning Herald, going onto say:
"If you ask all the boys, I've always told them I've wanted to have a crack at rugby and I've always been the type to jump in at the deep end, and I'm ready to try the best I can to make an instant switch."
This saga brings the game of rugby league into disrepute as it continues in its attempts to put itself on a level footing with its more credible and wealthier bigger brother in union.
If episodes like this are to be prevented then the overseas quota system needs to be tightened in such a way that your nationality is the country that you represent, or you are believed to represent.
A quote was once used to describe world heavyweight boxing champion Lennox Lewis, who represented Canada at the Olympics but competed in the professional ranks as British, although of Jamaican decent.
"If you are not a resident of somewhere, you're a resident of no where."
Never has this quote been so true then when related to Willie Mason, a man of New-Zealand birth, Tongan decent, but Australian representation. Where Mason's career will take him next is for us to see as this circus continues the other side of the English Channel.
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