HE made 23 appearances for Wakefield Trinity, 63 for St Helens, 18 for Castleford Tigers and 149 for Huddersfield Giants in Super League, but former prop Keith Mason could have played for at least four more clubs.
Mason, now a film star and charity worker, earned a reputation during his 14-year career for being one of rugby league’s ‘hard men’, never taking a backwards step nor shying away from a big tackle.
As well as that, the 41-year-old was a skilful forward so it perhaps comes as little surprise to learn that Mason was inundated with offers from Super League clubs during his time in the game.
“Before I left for Melbourne (in 2002), Leeds offered me a four-year deal but I turned that down. That offer came only a year-and-a-half before Dean Bell (former academy coach at Leeds) said I would never play Super League but I proved him wrong eventually,” Mason told League Express.
“Stuff like that can break kids’ confidence and it broke mine but I just feel like if I listened to other peoples’ narratives I would have ended up in jail or dead.
“You can’t give in at the first hurdle. Hull, Bradford and Hull KR also came in at one stage for me. To be honest, almost every Super League side came in for me at one point or another during my career.”
Now Keith is passing on the rugby league torch to his son, Lukas, who is currently on the books at Wigan Warriors and who is excelling through the academy and reserve grade teams.
“He’s only still a kid, obviously I’m his dad and he will ring for advice. I have been a mentor to him since he was a little boy and that’s only going to help him in the game and it definitely does,” Mason continued.
“I always said to him, to achieve in this game you need to be the hardest worker as you will put yourself in the best position the fitter you are and he has taken my advice on.
“He is a machine, he is super fit with great skills and doesn’t have bad things in his game. He reminds me of a young Denis Betts out on the rugby field.”
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