Friday 30th July 10

Former Australia international Willie Mason is mulling over moving to Engage Super League next season, claiming Hull KR and Huddersfield Giants are leading the race for his signature.

The 30–year–old North Queensland prop, known as one of the bad boys of the NRL for his aggressive style, is best known to English fans for knocking out Great Britain forward Stuart Fielden in a test match in Sydney in 2006.

His contract with the Cowboys expires at the end of the season, and he is currently weighing up his options.

Hull KR have spoken to Mason through his agent, and he claims that they, along with Huddersfield, are leading a pack of five that want to sign him.

“I have nothing left to achieve in Australia and I want to give the Super League a go,” he told the Hull Daily Mail.

“You could say it's now a two-horse race between Hull KR and Huddersfield. Bradford, Salford and Catalans were also mentioned to me, but I'd say it's between those two.

“I don't want to go to a side that are going to lose by 30 or 40 points on a regular basis. I want to go to a well-established club that has a fair crack of winning the title.”

Few sides in Australia would be able to afford Mason even if they wanted to sign him, with most salary caps already full for 2011, but Mason claims he would be inclined to reject any offers from the NRL anyway.

“There has also been interest from some NRL teams, but I am keen to go to England,” he added.

“The standard of rugby in England is getting better year by year and I feel now is the perfect time to go.

“At this stage, my manager has only held initial talks with the clubs, but I hope to make my mind up within the next month.”