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Underdone last year: Mason
Stuart Honeysett
October 07, 2006
WILLIE MASON has admitted he should not have been selected in the Kangaroos squad last season that lost a series for the first time in 27 years.
The Bulldogs' Test forward made the frank admission this week before declaring he is in the best shape of his career for the Tri-Nations series which starts next weekend.
Mason was certainly a controversial selection last year after missing most of the season with a long-term foot injury sustained at the end of the 2004 Kangaroo tour.
Mason said before the 2005 series started he wouldn't be 100 per cent fit while former Test coach Wayne Bennett admitted he had been selected largely out of loyalty.
"Last year I shouldn't have got picked because I only had nine (club) games," Mason said.
"We didn't play that well but Wayne Bennett showed a lot of loyalty to me and I didn't let anyone down. But I wasn't at my best."
Mason wasn't the only contentious selection. Several other players considered slightly down on form were also picked on the basis they had done the job before.
The end result was that New Zealand smacked the Kangaroos 24-0 in the Tri-Nations series final, bringing to an end Australia's domination for three decades.
"That was one of the most embarrassing moments of my career," Mason said about losing the final to the Kiwis in Leeds.
"I think everybody who played in that game agrees.
"We got outmuscled, out-enthused. Their intensity was relentless. They deserved to win."
Mason said the players had all been aware last season of the Kangaroos' imposing record in international football.
The last time Australia lost a series was against France in 1978.
"We were embarrassed losing it last year and we were conscious of it, because every year we go over there knowing we could be coming back as the Australian side that lost after all those years," Mason said.
Mason said he was looking forward to making amends, starting with the opening game of the series against title holder New Zealand in Auckland next Saturday.
But unlike last year the 26-year-old has been a mainstay of the Bulldogs team that reached the preliminary final this season as well as playing for NSW in the Origin series and Australia in the trans-Tasman Test.
Mason will play an even greater role for Australia in this series after coach Ricky Stuart declared him one of the new leaders of the team.
That follows the loss of seven senior players from the May Test, most noticeably Andrew Johns, Ben Kennedy and Steve Menzies (retirement) and Danny Buderus (unavailable).
"I've always said Willie is a leader," Stuart said.
"He may have been a problem child with his honesty and outgoing type of attitude (but) I've always had a great relationship with Willie.
"Willie's a fun guy. People love being around him outside football and they love being with him on the football field. And I don't think you can have much more credit than that."
Mason said he was looking forward to expanding the leadership role that he has already embraced at the Bulldogs.
He also said he was looking forward to working with the next generation of players after the selectors gambled on nine debutants in the 23-man squad.
"We're not overly confident but we know we've got the side here," Mason said.
"It's young, enthusiastic and it's got a great mix of older sort of players, great leaders like Locky (Darren Lockyer), unbelievable talent like Greg Inglis and Mark Gasnier, who are game-breakers, plus Johnathan Thurston. It's a really well drilled side, very fit and pretty aggressive.
"And it makes you that enthusiastic when you see young blokes like Toops (Anthony Tupou), who's made his first Australian side, Reni Maitua and Sammy Thaiday, who is just coming off a high of winning the grand final.
"Those blokes will inject enthusiasm into the whole team. They're young blokes who are going to get a chance to play for Australia and their enthusiasm will get us over the line I reckon."
Stuart Honeysett
October 07, 2006
WILLIE MASON has admitted he should not have been selected in the Kangaroos squad last season that lost a series for the first time in 27 years.
The Bulldogs' Test forward made the frank admission this week before declaring he is in the best shape of his career for the Tri-Nations series which starts next weekend.
Mason was certainly a controversial selection last year after missing most of the season with a long-term foot injury sustained at the end of the 2004 Kangaroo tour.
Mason said before the 2005 series started he wouldn't be 100 per cent fit while former Test coach Wayne Bennett admitted he had been selected largely out of loyalty.
"Last year I shouldn't have got picked because I only had nine (club) games," Mason said.
"We didn't play that well but Wayne Bennett showed a lot of loyalty to me and I didn't let anyone down. But I wasn't at my best."
Mason wasn't the only contentious selection. Several other players considered slightly down on form were also picked on the basis they had done the job before.
The end result was that New Zealand smacked the Kangaroos 24-0 in the Tri-Nations series final, bringing to an end Australia's domination for three decades.
"That was one of the most embarrassing moments of my career," Mason said about losing the final to the Kiwis in Leeds.
"I think everybody who played in that game agrees.
"We got outmuscled, out-enthused. Their intensity was relentless. They deserved to win."
Mason said the players had all been aware last season of the Kangaroos' imposing record in international football.
The last time Australia lost a series was against France in 1978.
"We were embarrassed losing it last year and we were conscious of it, because every year we go over there knowing we could be coming back as the Australian side that lost after all those years," Mason said.
Mason said he was looking forward to making amends, starting with the opening game of the series against title holder New Zealand in Auckland next Saturday.
But unlike last year the 26-year-old has been a mainstay of the Bulldogs team that reached the preliminary final this season as well as playing for NSW in the Origin series and Australia in the trans-Tasman Test.
Mason will play an even greater role for Australia in this series after coach Ricky Stuart declared him one of the new leaders of the team.
That follows the loss of seven senior players from the May Test, most noticeably Andrew Johns, Ben Kennedy and Steve Menzies (retirement) and Danny Buderus (unavailable).
"I've always said Willie is a leader," Stuart said.
"He may have been a problem child with his honesty and outgoing type of attitude (but) I've always had a great relationship with Willie.
"Willie's a fun guy. People love being around him outside football and they love being with him on the football field. And I don't think you can have much more credit than that."
Mason said he was looking forward to expanding the leadership role that he has already embraced at the Bulldogs.
He also said he was looking forward to working with the next generation of players after the selectors gambled on nine debutants in the 23-man squad.
"We're not overly confident but we know we've got the side here," Mason said.
"It's young, enthusiastic and it's got a great mix of older sort of players, great leaders like Locky (Darren Lockyer), unbelievable talent like Greg Inglis and Mark Gasnier, who are game-breakers, plus Johnathan Thurston. It's a really well drilled side, very fit and pretty aggressive.
"And it makes you that enthusiastic when you see young blokes like Toops (Anthony Tupou), who's made his first Australian side, Reni Maitua and Sammy Thaiday, who is just coming off a high of winning the grand final.
"Those blokes will inject enthusiasm into the whole team. They're young blokes who are going to get a chance to play for Australia and their enthusiasm will get us over the line I reckon."
