4 replies to this topic

[G Las D]

Willie Mason never ceases to amaze!

So the bloke is born in New Zealand - a kiwi?
He's played for Australia - an aussie?
He needed a quota free passport to get round Super League quota system (that's SL system made a fool of again - how soft are they?)
So he goes to Tonga, uses some influence and gets to wine and dine the Tongan Prime Minister and 'earns' himself a Tongan passport!

This action cheapens a Tongan passport, cheapens Super League, cheapens Rugby League.

What a state we are in when we allow this sort of obvious manipulation. It seems you can just buy your way to wherever you want by any means.

I call foul here!

It's pathetic that such ridiculous manoeuvrings are allowed.

This is farcical.

[Steve May]

Willie Mason never ceases to amaze!

So the bloke is born in New Zealand - a kiwi?
He's played for Australia - an aussie?
He needed a quota free passport to get round Super League quota system (that's SL system made a fool of again - how soft are they?)
So he goes to Tonga, uses some influence and gets to wine and dine the Tongan Prime Minister and 'earns' himself a Tongan passport!

This action cheapens a Tongan passport, cheapens Super League, cheapens Rugby League.

What a state we are in when we allow this sort of obvious manipulation. It seems you can just buy your way to wherever you want by any means.

I call foul here!

It's pathetic that such ridiculous manoeuvrings are allowed.

This is farcical.

I understand his mother was born in Tonga which - according to the people who matter in this, the Tongans - makes him a Tongan citizen and therefore eligible for a Tongan passport.

I'm not sure how that cheapens anything at all.

The pity is that Hull KR seem dead set on building a team of overseas players. It won't be sustainable in the long run.

[G Las D]

It's the business that you can swap your nationality to suit you and your business purposes.

Are you saying that he was always eligible to be Tongan? OK, why has he left being Tongan to last? Because until it suits his financial purposes.

A proud Tongan has every right to have a Tongan passport.

So maybe its just me who thinks Mason is just being cynical and selfish.

Perhaps he has a low boredom threshold: he's tried being a Kiwi, an aussie and now wants to be a Tongan. If he could play long enough over here maybe he'd try for a British passport. I reckon he's trying to set some sort of passport record.

[The Future is League]

The whole international rep rules in Rugby League are a joke. once you have played for a country at senior level then you must be made to stick with them rules. Mason should have never been allowed to play for Australia in the first place seeing as he had already played for Tonga. the same applies to other players who have played for a PI country then want to play for Australia or New Zealand. once you have played for a country as senior level that should be it in my opinion.

[Odsal Outlaw]

Willie Mason never ceases to amaze!

So the bloke is born in New Zealand - a kiwi?
He's played for Australia - an aussie?
He needed a quota free passport to get round Super League quota system (that's SL system made a fool of again - how soft are they?)
So he goes to Tonga, uses some influence and gets to wine and dine the Tongan Prime Minister and 'earns' himself a Tongan passport!

This action cheapens a Tongan passport, cheapens Super League, cheapens Rugby League.

What a state we are in when we allow this sort of obvious manipulation. It seems you can just buy your way to wherever you want by any means.

I call foul here!

It's pathetic that such ridiculous manoeuvrings are allowed.

This is farcical.

Totally agree with the point of your post that this situation is really poor and Mason and Hull KR need to have a long hard look at themselves. But its not the SL System being poor, they continue to look for new ways to promote British players, unfortunately I believe being Tongan allows him to be exempt from being classed as overseas in the same way that a European Union person would be due to European Law, so the RFL can't legally stop it at the mo.