Mason back in Super League with Dragons

LONDON: Former Australia international Willie Mason returned to Super League on Monday after agreeing to join Catalan Dragons on a one-year contract.

Dragons chiefs say they have overcome red-tape difficulties to sign the 35-year-old forward, who made six appearances for Hull KR in 2011 before being released six months into a threeyear deal.

Mason was a free agent after being released by Manly Sea Eagles at the end of the 2015 season and had been in discussions with the Dragons since November.

According to the French club, Mason has now secured a Samoan passport, which takes him off the Catalans’ overseas quota through the Kolpak ruling and paved the way for them to complete the deal.

“Willie is a player who knows the job a prop has to do. He is a physical and aggressive player, both in attack and in defence, and we have spoken a lot about the quality of our group and he is really excited to join the club,” Catalans coach Laurent Frayssinous said.

Mason won 24 caps for Australia and made around 300 NRL appearances, including a Grand Final triumph with Canterbury Bulldogs in 2004 in which he won the Clive Churchill Medal as man of the match.

He also played for Sydney Roosters and North Queensland Cowboys before joining Hull KR six years ago and had an equally brief stint in rugby union with Toulon before returning to the NRL with Newcastle Knights and Manly.

When Mason was released by Hull KR, it was claimed he was unable to obtain a Tongan passport - he played for Tonga in the 2000 World Cup - but, according to the Catalans chief executive Christophe Jouffret, he has Samoan heritage.

The Kolpak ruling gives citizens of countries with European Union association agreements the same right to freedom of work as EU citizens. – AFP