Mason says he won’t be retiring and has had plenty of offers to stay in the NRL.
Departing Newcastle Knights player Willie Mason says he has options to stay in the NRL despite being unwanted by his current club next season.
Mason will play his final game for the club against St George Illawarra on Sunday, and the 35-year-old says he won’t retire.
I’ll be playing next year. The Willie Mason saga continues, don’t worry about that,” he is quoted as saying in The Daily Telegraph.
Mason was asked where he believes he’ll end up next season, and the former North Queensland, Sydney Roosters and Canterbury Bulldogs man said he had a good idea but was not prepared to announce the club.
“I’ve got a fair idea but I can’t announce it all,” he said.
“I’m definitely going to play next year, I just don’t know where.
“There are a lot of offers out there but it’s just up to me.”
The former representative player said he never wanted to leave the Knights, but understood it was the nature of the sport.
“It’s disappointing to be honest,” Mason told The Daily Telegraph.
“I was obviously thinking I was going to finish my career here, and I wanted to finish my career here, and I never really wanted to play for anyone else.
“So it was a bit of a shock to me, and probably all the fans and that as well, that I didn’t get my contract renewed, but that’s footy and I’ll just reflect on the three years that I’ve had here.
“It’s been great. I’ve met some great people, the fans are awesome.
“I’ve always been a Newcastle boy at heart anyway so I knew what the fans are like.
“I’ll miss the fans and I’ll miss the boys… but it’s not like I’ve been a one man, one club sort of player.”
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