North Queensland chief executive Peter Parr has confirmed the club is close to finalising a deal that will make Willie Mason a Cowboy for at least the 2010 season.
Speaking to reporters in Townsville on Friday morning, Parr revealed that negotiations between the club and Mason were at the final stage and that the Cowboys are also close to securing a release from the Roosters where the former Test and Origin forward has spent the past two seasons.
"I just got off the phone to (Roosters CEO) Steve Noyce not long ago and Steve indicated to me that he didn't expect any hiccups with the release," Parr said after Mason chose North Queensland as his preferred destination ahead of Newcastle, which was also keen on his services.
"So we expect in the very near future that that release will be formalised."
"But Steve has given me surety that we can go ahead and start with the process of getting Willie to Townsville."
While reluctant to talk about exactly how Mason fits in to the club's game plan, preferring to defer to coach Neil Henry, Parr is confident that the addition of the 29-year-old will provide yet another boost to a forward pack that promises plenty.
"Yeah I think he'll be good for us," he added. "I said at the very beginning of this that Willie Mason fully fit and focused and concentrating on his football is a benefit to any team."
"And we're convinced after our due diligence that that's the athlete that we're going to pick up and we're looking forward now to him getting here and getting on with the season."
"On paper (it's) a very, very strong forward pack now ... but (what's) on paper doesn't win you games, it's what happens out on the paddock."
Parr was unable to confirm exactly when Mason will arrive in Townsville because the club's players will on Sunday embark on a three-day community camp initiative that will take in 10 different regions but he dismissed speculation the prize recruit would fly up on Friday afternoon.
Having insisted that after 'plenty of discussions' that 'everyone is 100 percent on board' with the decision to recruit Mason, Parr also refused to be drawn on what behavioural clauses, if any, would be part of the one-year contract for one of the game's most controversial figures.
Parr expects Mason to play at least one trial game in the lead-up to the season proper because 'I didn't go through all this not to have him (Mason) play' and doesn't believe the Cowboys' decision is a gamble because of the 'extensive due diligence' completed before a contract was offered.
As for the thoughts of the fans, Parr hopes that those who have been against the move can in time be convinced that the Cowboys have made the right move as they look to return to the upper reaches of the ladder.
"Well I sat here a bit over a week ago and I said I was disappointed it was going to be played out in the public arena," Parr said of the speculation as to whether the Cowboys would chase Mason.
"In some ways I've actually been quite happy that it's happened that way because I've been able to gauge a lot of reaction from the public and the fans and it's been exactly as you've just described it, he