Larger than life Sydney Roosters personality Willie Mason has been voted in as the NRL’s most overrated player in the 2008 season. Registering the majority of the vote from his Rugby League counterparts.
Mason had 20 per cent of the vote in Rugby League Week magazine’s annual players poll to take the game’s most hated award from from Manly’s Jamie Lyon, who went to the top of the list during the 2007 NRL season.
Mason who left Belmore at the start of this year, was only average during the State of Origin series with NSW, and he now becomes the 5th Rooster to receive the most over-rated title since it was first awarded in 2000, following in the footsteps of players Craig Wing, Brad Fittler, Braith Anasta and Justin Hodges.
“I don’t know who they surveyed, they surveyed about 100 players … must have been a few halfbacks I ran over,” Mason told the Channel 9.
Mason was also up the top of the list for sledging ability, which was won by Eels half Brett Finch copping 21 per cent of the vote.
Finch was also prominent in other categories – winning biggest sledger in the NRL and biggest sook but also featuring in a new category of funniest player in the game.
In other areas of the game, Storm rising star Greg Inglis has skipped past Cowboy Johnathan Thurston to take the title of the NRL’s best player.
The RLW poll, now in its 23rd year, surveys the opinions of 100 NRL players.