It seems very apparent that Rovers have been financially spanked from this deal. The other sad thing is that with a rugby union move looking the most likely for Mason, its another top player moving to the dark side with the gin and tonic brigade smirking at us league boys again! Rugby league at the moment is a complete farce. Appalling standards of refereeing with no consistency of sticking to the same set of rules and with sneaky wretches like hudgell as chairmen bending the rules looking for loopholes to blight our game it is making RFL a laughing stock.

Mrs Barista wrote:http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/sport/HULL-KR-Mason-set-whimper/article-3479200-detail/article.html Mason's "furious" and won't play for Rovers again. So it says. Its a bit of a nothing article though isn't it? No quotes, just speculation and un-named "friends" saying he's not happy. Does the Mail have O'Meeley on speed dial?

Mrs Barista wrote:http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/sport/HULL-KR-Mason-set-whimper/article-3479200-detail/article.html Mason's "furious" and won't play for Rovers again. So it says. Its a bit of a nothing article though isn't it? No quotes, just speculation and un-named "friends" saying he's not happy. Does the Mail have O'Meeley on speed dial?

Can't believe I didn't work that one out. Well done James Smailes.

On a more serious point, are Rovers restraining Mason's trade here? He is a RL player, fit and available to play and presumably wants to play. Rovers will not re-register him, we are told. Unless he is made a free agent, therefore, Rovers would be preventing from playing in SL, which he has come round the world specifically to do.

No doubt Hudge will be drawing up yet another "confidentiality" agreement for Willie to sign.....doubt he will adhere though and it wont be long before he speaks some un-palatable truths about the way Rovers is run...

Rovers are only reaping what they have sown in this affair and it could hurt them in the future , unless silly contracts are handed out top level internationals are going to be wary about setting foot in East Hull, (not that Morgan could get many of these anyway) and i know many dont agree but building a side around a second grade Aussie scrum half who cannot tackle will never win us any trophies...a few more years bobbing about the mid table for Rovers...can or will the current board see that out...????

True enough - even now it is just a bit of fun, nothing to take too seriously. There are plenty more passionate than me - in some cases that can sometimes be at the expense of perspective, IMO.



My opinion is that signing Galea and Mason without either a Maltese or Tongan passport confirmed/received was (without the benefit of hindsight), a smallish risk - but of a biggish hazard. For both passports to fall through - especially the way the Tongan one has, would be difficult to anticipate. For all the 'told you so's' that will likely be flying about - that was mainly about not getting a visa due to weeing in the street or the betting scandal. The intricacies (sp?) of Tongan politics are beyond most - that was the risk, of course.

Since then every decision seems to have been sensible, based on the assurances that we know were made. Perhaps the triumphal tone of the unveiling was unwise - again with hindsight. And my suspicion is that the club maybe jumped the gun on anticipating that the RFL would accept a prime minister's letter in lieu of a passport, creating the excitement (and subsequent disappointment) around the famous announcement. And were blindsided by the Toulon rumours.

Once bitten, twice shy and I'd want more caution next time - but I've thought the board made the best judgements they could at the times they were made, so I won't be calling for blood because it didn't work out. Stuff happens - you learn and move on.

Hull fans are well within their rights to lap this up (on the other thread!), but it'd be unwise for Rovers fans to buy into that 'analysis' - IMO.

I have to disagree with all the Rovers fans claiming to be embarrassed by their club. Our board took a punt on bringing probably the highest profile (not saying the best) RL players in recent history, to our club. You only have to look around the various boards on RL Fans to see the fans of most other clubs were excited at the prospect of seeing Mason play against their team, and in theory the increase in attendances would have gone towards paying for his contract.
Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond their conrtol it hasn't panned out as we would have liked, but fair play to Hudge and the board for trying to keep our club moving forward, whatever they do they do for the good of Hull KR, and this is a bump in the road that they have brought us a bloody long way down, and for that they have my thanks and support.
I am, today,on derby day, especially so, but always PROUD to be a fan of Hull Kingston Rovers!

Well said to both above posts, it says in HDM that mason did not know things were going to turn out like this us having to de register Dobbo IMO he knew exactly what was going to happen and this is just an excuse to say right I've been offered more money I'm of, he knew when he walked into the country he didn't have a Tongan passport so how did he expect KR to play him then. What ever hudge does he tries and does the best for the club, this news will be fish and chip paper in a few weeks the rovers squad need to roll up they're sleeves and get on with the rest of the season starting today.

.
disagree as much as you like.....
but the facts do stand on their own...
they have made themselves look amateurish with the way they have carried on...
how did you put it..."they took a punt"... there should of been no punts or gambles, at the end of the day we was full on the quota, the board knew this but still they signed another foreign player no matter the size of reputation, and then tried to bend around the rules etc creating the whole fiasco.
and it is embarassing, embarasiing for the fans and for the club.
the fanfare of his arrival was good press.... the fanfare of what seems his imminent departure is embarassing news..... now which do you suppose will be remembered the most?
simples his departure...
we are mostly by nature a arrogant species who take great pleasure in seeing suffering etc... which is why the departure will stick in peoples memories rather than his arrival.

Unlike some, i am a realist, i do not look down on my club as the be all and end all no matter what happens.... i see things as they are and how they are and will tell it like it is ..like it or not..

this fiasco is going to rumble on for weeks yet.

Probably until his passport arrives