16/06/09 - From James Phelps of The Daily Telegraph - FIRST it was boxing, then NFL, and now Willie Mason wants to quit the NRL to play rugby union in Japan. The controversial career of Mason is poised to fade away in the Land of the Rising Sun with Brad Fittler last week giving the 115kg behemoth permission to negotiate with Japanese rugby clubs.
There are two thoughts on this story:
1.
The Legacy
If this happened three years ago it would have been a bad thing for the game. Three years ago, league needed Mason. The ’04 sex scandal brought him into the social conscience and his personality made him public enemy no. 1. He represented everything that was wrong with NRL players, the Bulldogs, and society. And yet he experienced success. He was one of the NRL’s hottest commodities. The perfect villain for NRL fans. People who loved him, loved to watch him win; people who hated him, loved to watch him lose even more.
In those few years during and after the scandals, the bad-boy Bulldogs had a defined identity, and Mason was the face of it all. As their success continued their games seemed to transcend sports. They were a fight between good and evil, between bourgeoisie and proletariat, between culture, and old fashion moral equity. Every comment was blown out of proportion and every night out was a controversy. When the ‘dogs came to town you knew it.
And then at some point, when the wins began to wane, and everyone wanted out of the Bulldogs, his act got old. Like Paris Hilton, what once interested people for a reason they couldn’t identify, now no longer did. People got tired of his poor performances, his complaining (especially when it came to money), his poor social form, his attitude, and his stupid haircuts. It had all gone on for too long. He quickly became overrated, his amateur-esque attitude wasn’t funny anymore, the league got younger, and that was that.
I will always hate him most for what he could have been. People forget how much potential he had. I vividly remember fans cheering with excess every time he touched the ball when he made his test debut. They energized his every hit up the same way a cricket crowd claps a bowler to his release. It was like nothing anyone had seen before. I enjoyed it to the point I would have supported the re-introduction of the afro as “officially stylish” on the spot. So, as much as we can hate him for anything he did during his career, we should hate him most for never living up to his potential.
2.
The real reason the NRL to Rugby switch never works for big guys, and will defiantly not for Mason.
It’s simple to look at the intricacies of the Rugby game and bemoan them as the central reason why league converts struggle. It’s a valid point which is worth noting, but not the reason.
The real reason is motivation. Players in the position Mason is in (on the back 9 of their career, carrying a few injuries, riding their name, desperate for one last big contract), choose rugby because it’s less taxing physically and mentally, not because they want to accomplish more. Sure the money is a HUGE reason, but at their age, having to make 30 less tackles a game, play a third of the games they would in a NRL season, and live away from public scrutiny—ease of lifestyle becomes a huge factor. At that point of their career, players no longer want to be the best, or win a title, or get better; they simply want to make a living in the most efficient way possible. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, it’s just a fact.
So like with anything, if you aren’t motivated you won’t succeed. These guys are contempt to show up, do what they need to get by, and go home. When Beckham went to the LA Galaxy, he didn’t struggle because he had trouble adapting to the new league, he simply just didn’t care. He was getting a pay check, the MLS was getting coverage, and that was that.
It’s like therapy. As much as discussing your issues with a trained professional helps, the true essence of therapy lies in the act of going in the first place. It works because you go out of your way to set aside time in your life to deal with your issues. If someone else sets up your appointment of forces you to go, it wont work because you aren’t motivated to get better. The same is true for league converts; at that point of their career they have no motivation to get better, so they don’t. They just continue to decline, like they would have in league.
---
That’s my theory anyway. Maybe he loves Asian chicks and noodles so this move will revitalize his career. Either way, so long Big Willie and the ghosts of NRL past.
Brisbane Sports Fan
No comments:
Post a Comment