Only problem being that the visa is not issued by the RFL and therefore it can be refused for non rugby related reasons. This is what happened with Crocker, Eastwood, Bird & Carney. They can be considered something of hard luck stories, though you can reasonably argue that the clubs should have done more research into their backgrounds. With Mason a visa as such wasn't the problem, only the passport it came with so that Hudgell could fiddle the quota system. The RFL needs to hang its head in shame for allowing this to happen by either (a) believing Hudgell's promises or (b) caving in to any threats he made [delete as appropriate].

Show a picture of Coltman Street to give that post some balance

Big contribution from Cooke to keep us up in 2007.
Had it been us and not Salford who had been relegated i dread to think where we would be now.
It was just 08,09,10 that was the problem.

Far be it from me to question the depth of HDM's journalistic research, but this is simply untrue, isn't it? "Mason was linked with a move to Toulon before joining Justin Morgan's men and that interest remained throughout his short stay at Craven Park." First news of the link was well after he started at Rovers, surely? www.thisishullandeastriding.co.u ... ticle.html

Far be it from me to question the depth of HDM's journalistic research, but this is simply untrue, isn't it? "Mason was linked with a move to Toulon before joining Justin Morgan's men and that interest remained throughout his short stay at Craven Park." First news of the link was well after he started at Rovers, surely? www.thisishullandeastriding.co.u ... ticle.html

"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 sounds awfully familiar.

Good riddance, never wanted him. Hope the board have singed their fingers enough to be carefull next time.
We are a world famous club but any more of this and we become a world famous joke.

Rovers have to rightfully take stick for this episode.
They couldnt have predicted the passport hold up which was the root cause of the problem but will have learned lessons from it.
Mason has been proven to be dishonourable but with the pay day he has been offered by Toulon his head was always going to be turned.
You live and learn.
Perhaps Youth over Marquee will be the blue print they adopt as a result of this falling apart around them.
Cannot blame Rovers for signing him, the media frenzy around him showed he was big news in Rugby League but time to move on.

Maybe but it was Rovers who made him hang around and then go to Tonga for a passport. Then when it didnt go through Rovers de-registered him.
I cant fault him for looking after number 1 to be honest I would have done the same. Possibly could have told Rovers about the approach.

Rovers board have been truly outstanding since Hudge took over as Chairman but I have to say I'm very disappointed in how the board have handled this saga and how they have treated Willie Mason for the following reasons:-

As I understand it, it was reported last year that Galea was due to get a Maltese passport and Mason was signed as a quota player who would play for Rovers under an Australian visa and be registered as a quota player. Had this happened, Mason would have been in the country before xmas doing pre-season with the rest of the squad.

It then transpires Galea won't come off the quota so they tell Mason he's going to have to get a Tongan passport himself. We then have a 30yr old player who has to go through the bureaucracy of sorting out his own passport when all he wants to do is come over and get on with things.

At this point I (under contract or not) I think it's perfectly understandable that he or his agent looks at other options given the fact he's unclear of how things would pan out at Rovers considering he's in his twilight years and all he wants to do is play rugby.

He eventually came over and showed effort and enthusiasm whether on the pitch or on the bench (even though he was tucked out wide when he should have been played in the middle until Dobson was in the team) only for Rovers to bin him off because he's looked at other options whilst the club had told him "sort yourself a passport out or you can't play".

The board may say that Mason was out of order in approaching Toulon, but I feel in this instance, they should have cut him some slack considering all the messing about Willie Mason has been subjected to.

And all this talk of Mason being a "money grabber" is total non-sense as far as I'm concerned; if someone offered me 5 times my salary then I'd jump ship without a second thought - and I expect most people reading this post would do the same.

I've always stated that the FC board got what they deserved over their treatment of Paul Cooke and I'm not the sort of person to change their tune now the boot is on the other foot.

I do applaud the board and JM for the tough stance they take with all players because it benefits the long term culture of the club but I feel they gone a step too far this time.

Willie Mason will earn the equivalent of £1.65M during his next 3 years @ Toulon and I wish him well.

Pretty fair assessment I think. No hard feelings towards him. Looking forward to seeing how he does over there.
I think straight into the Barbarians against England is a big ask.
Hopefully we'll put the new found room in the salary cap to some good (wise) use.

He was being paid wasn't he?
If we had not been paying him all along then I would have done the back door dealing he had but that isn't the case, Like it or not we had still been paying him as a HKR player he then chose to go elsewhere knowing full well he was still reciving (sp) monies for that contract.