bulldogs4ever
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NSW star Willie Mason has raised the stakes for the State of Origin decider by declaring: "This is the biggest game of my life".
In an explosive interview with The Sun-Herald, Mason hit back at suggestions he "goes missing" in Origin football and further inflamed tensions across the border by claiming: "I genuinely hate Queenslanders".
Mason has played 158 NRL matches, 24 Tests and won a grand final but rates the rematch against the Maroons at ANZ Stadium on July 2 as the biggest game of his career.
"I can't afford to lose this game," he said yesterday. "This is the biggest game of my life.
"It was such an empty feeling after Origin II; it was embarrassing not to even score a try.
"I'm burning to get out there and redeem myself, as are all the boys.
"I'm sick of Queensland winning. Getting beat over the last couple of years, we've all built up a genuine hate for Queensland.
"I can tell you now - I genuinely hate Queenslanders. They hate us but I hate them even more.
"There's a lot of talk they're more passionate but they're not. They're the best winners in the world; as soon as they won they were into us.
"[Johnathan] Thurston, [Cam] Smith, all of those guys were into us. Hopefully we'll get the last laugh in Sydney. I've been through the highs of winning three in a row, nearly four, and now we're on the verge of losing three [consecutive series].
"This would be the sweetest one."
Blues legend Brett Kenny turned up the heat on Mason, telling NSW selectors to put a line through his name if he doesn't perform in Origin III.
"When it gets a bit tough he goes missing," Kenny said. "He talks a lot but he's not playing that well and struggled at times in Origin.
"He hasn't performed as well as you think you could.
"It's time he stood up and did a few things because he's the biggest bloke we've got in the side.
"It's time to say, 'If you don't perform here, it's your last time you ever play for NSW'.
"I think him and the front-rowers need to be given the chance to redeem themselves. The whole pack should be under pressure.
"But if they lose it's time to put a line through their names."
Told of Kenny's comments, Mason said: "It doesn't help to have ex-players come out and bag you.
"You're hurting enough as it is. You don't need a former great who is held in such high regard bagging the team and individuals.
"It's the lowest thing you can do."
The 28-year-old said he was far from washed up at representative level and believed Origin III could be a defining moment in his career.
"That's the way history will remember you," he said.
"We've never had so much to play for. If we lose three series in a row it will be an embarrassment.
"We don't want to be remembered as the players that lost NSW three series in a row.
"They [NSW fans] will look back on you as being hopeless.
"It's certainly not something I want to be a part of or want to be remembered for.
"We have to win this series."
Mason has called for in-form Roosters five-eighth Braith Anasta to be recalled to the NSW side, allowing Greg Bird to move to lock and focus on his running game.
"Birdy is probably the best lock in Australia and Braith is the best five-eighth," he said.
"We need Braith's direction and Birdy is at his best running the ball.
"He needs someone like Braith to get the ball out to the centres."
The former Bulldog created headlines when he labelled Maroons fans "nutbag, redneck Queenslanders".
And he didn't back down from that remark.
"My opinion of them hasn't changed," he said after his fiery reception at Suncorp Stadium.
"They certainly didn't let themselves down, put it that way."
http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/new...1213321687034.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
More talk from the huge ****
In an explosive interview with The Sun-Herald, Mason hit back at suggestions he "goes missing" in Origin football and further inflamed tensions across the border by claiming: "I genuinely hate Queenslanders".
Mason has played 158 NRL matches, 24 Tests and won a grand final but rates the rematch against the Maroons at ANZ Stadium on July 2 as the biggest game of his career.
"I can't afford to lose this game," he said yesterday. "This is the biggest game of my life.
"It was such an empty feeling after Origin II; it was embarrassing not to even score a try.
"I'm burning to get out there and redeem myself, as are all the boys.
"I'm sick of Queensland winning. Getting beat over the last couple of years, we've all built up a genuine hate for Queensland.
"I can tell you now - I genuinely hate Queenslanders. They hate us but I hate them even more.
"There's a lot of talk they're more passionate but they're not. They're the best winners in the world; as soon as they won they were into us.
"[Johnathan] Thurston, [Cam] Smith, all of those guys were into us. Hopefully we'll get the last laugh in Sydney. I've been through the highs of winning three in a row, nearly four, and now we're on the verge of losing three [consecutive series].
"This would be the sweetest one."
Blues legend Brett Kenny turned up the heat on Mason, telling NSW selectors to put a line through his name if he doesn't perform in Origin III.
"When it gets a bit tough he goes missing," Kenny said. "He talks a lot but he's not playing that well and struggled at times in Origin.
"He hasn't performed as well as you think you could.
"It's time he stood up and did a few things because he's the biggest bloke we've got in the side.
"It's time to say, 'If you don't perform here, it's your last time you ever play for NSW'.
"I think him and the front-rowers need to be given the chance to redeem themselves. The whole pack should be under pressure.
"But if they lose it's time to put a line through their names."
Told of Kenny's comments, Mason said: "It doesn't help to have ex-players come out and bag you.
"You're hurting enough as it is. You don't need a former great who is held in such high regard bagging the team and individuals.
"It's the lowest thing you can do."
The 28-year-old said he was far from washed up at representative level and believed Origin III could be a defining moment in his career.
"That's the way history will remember you," he said.
"We've never had so much to play for. If we lose three series in a row it will be an embarrassment.
"We don't want to be remembered as the players that lost NSW three series in a row.
"They [NSW fans] will look back on you as being hopeless.
"It's certainly not something I want to be a part of or want to be remembered for.
"We have to win this series."
Mason has called for in-form Roosters five-eighth Braith Anasta to be recalled to the NSW side, allowing Greg Bird to move to lock and focus on his running game.
"Birdy is probably the best lock in Australia and Braith is the best five-eighth," he said.
"We need Braith's direction and Birdy is at his best running the ball.
"He needs someone like Braith to get the ball out to the centres."
The former Bulldog created headlines when he labelled Maroons fans "nutbag, redneck Queenslanders".
And he didn't back down from that remark.
"My opinion of them hasn't changed," he said after his fiery reception at Suncorp Stadium.
"They certainly didn't let themselves down, put it that way."
http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/new...1213321687034.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
More talk from the huge ****
