Willie Mason shoulder charge in the first play of the game

HE has just returned from suspension for a shoulder charge, and served a massive rant to the NRL, but Willie Mason is already back to his old tricks.

Sea Eagles forward Willie Mason speaks during a media conference after a team training session at Narrabeen. Picture: Troy Snook

HE has only just returned following a two-week suspension for a shoulder charge, and already Manly front-rower Willie Mason is back to his old tricks.

With the very first play of Manly’s Friday night clash against the Roosters, prop Dylan Napa fielded the kick-off and charged towards the Manly defensive line.

The 109kg Roosters forward was met by three defenders and put quite heavily on his back, only to have the referee immediately blow a penalty.

Why? Because Willie Mason had once again made himself a likely target for the watchful eyes of the judiciary as he failed to use any arms in the dominant hit.

With just seven seconds gone in the game, Mason couldn’t have made less of an effort to avoid the shoulder charge — the tackle that has been the focus of hot debate among the NRL community of late.

Watch the shoulder charge in the video player above.

Willie Mason back from suspension.... and he's gone. #ShoulderCharge #NRLManlyRoosters

— Stephen Gallagher (@SWTGallagher) August 28, 2015

One tackle. One penalty. #NRLManlyRoosters

— League Unlimited NRL (@LeagueUnlimited) August 28, 2015

Lol another 2 weeks for Willie! #NRLManlyRoosters

— Jake Chook (@jake_chook) August 28, 2015

Well, will that be the end of Mason's NRL career? #NRLManlyRoosters

— Big League (@bigleaguemag) August 28, 2015

Willie Mason just back from a ban for a shoulder charge is penalised on the 1st tackle of the game for a shoulder charge. It beggars belief

— Rod Studd (@Rod_Studd) August 28, 2015

1' First tackle and Willie Mason penalised for a shoulder charge of Dylan Napa. Drama early on at Brookvale #NRLManSyd

— NothingButRL (@NothingButRL) August 28, 2015

Mason spoke earlier this month after receiving a two-week suspension for a shoulder charge on South Sydney’s Thomas Burgess, saying he was “embarrassed” by stricter tackle rulings.

“That hit was embarrassing — we are supposed to be the tough game that everyone plays,” he said.

“I’m embarrassed to be a rugby league player at the moment with all the rule changes and everything like that.

“It’s a sad day for rugby league really if you have a look at it.

“I’ve seen bigger hits on the weekend in netball.”

After such an outward shaming of the NRL’s ruling while serving his two weeks on the sideline, one would think the 35-year-old would have thought with slightly more depth before throwing himself into yet another illegal tackle.

Willie Mason managed to get it right in this later tackle on Dylan Napa.

Manly’s hopes of a top eight finals berth were thwarted at the hands of a much stronger Roosters side, as Geoff Toovey’s Brookvale Oval farewell ended in a 46-10 NRL defeat.

The Roosters hardly missed a beat without some of their biggest guns as they moved to within touching distance of a third straight minor premiership.

With Mitchell Pearce, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Michael Jennings and Shaun Kenny-Dowall watching from the dugout, the Roosters were clinical in their 11th straight victory.

Wingers Brendan Elliot and Daniel Tupou each racked up hat-tricks in the eight-tries-to-two victory.

With Waerea-Hargreaves’ season over due to an ACL injury and with Pearce (hamstring) out for a month, the Roosters were expected to wane but showed no signs of stumbling against the Sea Eagles. Manly had everything to play for with their finals hopes on the line and the match being Geoff Toovey’s last at Brookvale after an illustrious playing and coaching career that stretched back to 1988.

It was also five-eighth Kieran Foran’s last Brookvale match in Manly colours ahead of his move to Parramatta.

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck was unstoppable in setting up a try for Isaac Lui in the dying minutes.

In some positive news the club did announce that fullback Brett Stewart had penned a one-year contract extension which would see him stay at the club until the end of 2017.

They looked listless in the opening stanza as the Roosters jumped out to a 16-0 lead after 27 minutes and never got back within touching distance.

The Roosters’ first two tries were almost replicas with Elliot going over in the corner after some swift hands.

Jackson Hastings proved he was up to filling Pearce’s No.7 jumper when he toed it through for an Aidan Guerra four-pointer. Manly were staring down the barrel of going into the break down 16-0 but pegged one back when Jamie Lyon went over off the back of a gem of a Stewart flick pass.

But the second half began almost exactly as the first with Elliot going over in the corner after the Roosters opened up an overlap and it was a steady procession from there.

A Tupou second-half treble put the exclamation point on the win before Roger Tuivasa-Sheck added one to his highlight reel with a 50 metre burst which ended with Isaac Lui crossing.

Manly’s Justin Horo (high contact) and Willie Mason (shoulder charge) are both facing scrutiny from the match review committee.

— with AAP