The Wallabies may have finally settled on a long-term flyhalf in Noah Lolesio, but former full-backs coach Chris Latham believes Australian rugby missed an almighty trick by failing to develop Mack Mason.
“Oh mate, I love him,” said Latham, who had just left the Seattle Seawolves to take on the role as head coach of the Chicago Hounds in Major League Rugby competition.
“Honestly, if he was given the chance to stay in Australia, I think he would be in the top 10 in the world.
“He has a unique ability to get the ball to the line, at what pace, when he needs to, and how much he has to do to get everyone on board. He just has that talent and ability. Be an exceptional number 10.”
That’s full support from the former Wallabies full-back, who played alongside one of Australia’s best playmakers, Stephen Larkham, for many years.
“It’s a big decision,” said Latham, who was the Seawolves’ attack coach in 2024. “But I know the Hurricanes are chasing him hard in 2025. You don’t get chased by a New Zealand club just because they give you 10 points. It’s not half-decent.
“I love that kid. I wish he was in Chicago. I think he’s really great. He’s certainly not the best 10 in the world right now, but I truly believe he could have been given time to develop and in the right program.”
Mack Mason had a memorable debut against the Crusaders in Sydney on April 2, 2017. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Mason, 28, was grateful for the support but wasn’t jumping on either side.
“That’s one man’s opinion,” he snapped. “It’s a really big deal to entrust it to a man like ‘Lato.’”
But it’s unlikely Australian rugby will see Mason play Down Under again. He may not lace his boots again.
It’s just past 5pm and Mason is a long way from the beach city of Seattle where he competed at MLR.
Mason, whose partner is pregnant with their first child, is as far away as possible from MLR, about 10 hours west of Brisbane, where he helps run his family’s 185,000-acre cattle farm.
Mason, who has led the Seattle Seawolves to the MLR finals for the past eight months, is struggling to find workers and is back working on the farm.
It’s quite far from Seattle, where lakes and mountains surround the city.
“To be honest, no one I know is as extreme in farming as the people I’ve met playing rugby,” Mason said.
“It was a big change, but I really loved my time in Seattle. It’s a great city, but I think the best thing about Seattle is that there are hiking trails and lakes nearby. Talk to anyone about Seattle and you’ll always hear about the lakes, hiking and music.”
With so little time left, I don’t think Mason will return to Seattle for next year’s MLR season.
He breathed a sigh of relief when he learned that Seawolves coach Allen Clarke, who played for Ireland and spent time shadowing Joe Schmidt, had signed former Brumbies defender Rod Iona as a replacement.
So what about places closer to home?
“I really don’t know,” he said. “I think my days are done in Australia because I can’t spend another 10 months there. There is too much work on the farm and grounds to do that.”
But he is sure of one thing.
“I’m definitely a much better player than I was in Australia and I hope a lot more people on the outskirts can go play professional rugby in the US every week,” Mason said. . “I think the loan system would work well for the Australian team, that’s exactly what I think.”
But more on this later.
Mack Mason (R) may have played his last game of rugby as he prepares to take over the family farm operation. Photo: Supplied.
Mason is part of a lost generation of playmakers who disappeared in the years following the 2015 World Cup.
Several youngsters have been put into storage ahead of the 2019 World Cup in Japan, with Quade Cooper, Bernard Foley, Christian Lealiifano and Matt To’omua taking on most of the key Super Rugby roles.
When they were selected for the matchday squad, they were usually sitting on the pine, rarely given more than a few minutes.
For promising players like Andrew Deegan, Sam Green, Jake McIntyre and of course Mason, their development has stalled and they have struggled the most when given the opportunity.
The same was true for Mason, who barely returned to the field after a dazzling debut against a red-hot Crusaders team in 2017 and, unsurprisingly, struggled against the lowly Sunwolves in 2019 when Daryl Gibson was given a rare opportunity.
Soon after, he disappeared. Not just for the Waratahs, but for Australian rugby as well.
“That’s right. “It was actually quite difficult.” Mason recalls.
“I was probably there for the first 25 minutes. I was slowly behind the 8-ball, I remember, then had a good showing leading into half-time and was fine for about 10 minutes, but then I got hooked.
“Like you said, I didn’t play and I was on the bench for probably four or five games before that, but it hurt me because I never played a minute, two minutes, three minutes or anything. At that level, there’s a real rift. There was and that level was faster.
“It’s funny that Kara Pryor, who was on our Seawolves team this year but was playing for the Sunwolves in Newcastle that evening, said to me at the time this year: ‘I think we ruined the Super Rugby careers of those ten people. ‘ – and I think he may have been right.”
Mason holds no grudges against anyone and is glad Cooper moved from Queensland to the Waratahs in 2017 as he returned from an eventful short spell with French glamor side Toulon, but he insists his loyalty to the team I believe I showed it. Wrong people.
“I’ve thought about it a little bit, but honestly I don’t dwell on the past too much,” he said.
“I wish I could do a few different things. The Waratahs were going through quite a big transition with Foley and perhaps he stayed with the Waratahs a year or two too long and gave them too much loyalty.
“I think I had three or four coaches when I was there, so I guess I was loyal to the wrong people. I settled down with one coach and then he got fired or went somewhere else and a new coach came in. It was never stable.
Mac Mason in action for the Junior Wallabies against New Zealand at Bond University on May 3, 2016. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
“That first year, Chris Malone was the backs coach and I had a very good relationship with him. I think we were the second best offensive team in the competition and he got the film. I don’t understand how that happens.
“Honestly, I don’t think I’m ready or mature yet. Maybe I was a little arrogant in the way I did things. I didn’t know it at the time, but looking back now, I think it would have been better if I had done a few different things.
“I think I was loyal to the club for too long. I should have tried to start with at least 10 points. That’s where you can get experience.”
What does Mason mean by “cheeky”?
“I was never cocky, but if a coach would tell me what to do, I would always think I was right or not taking things the right way,” Mason said.
“You grow up on a farm, and by the time you’re 15, you’re talking to 40-year-olds and actually having honest conversations with people. If you disagree with something, you say you disagree with something.
“I don’t think the coaches handle that very well.
Mack Mason is not your typical rugby player. Photo: Provided
“If you think about it, they have a lot of ‘yes men’ around them so they don’t hear no.
“In those situations, I personally should have done better, but I think it’s good to have a good relationship with the coach and be able to discuss it.”
Back at MLR, Mason believes competition has only gotten stronger since he first expanded into the US four years ago.
“I went to Austin first and the competition was probably one tough game every four games,” he said.
“When I say hard game I don’t mean Super Rugby level, but the way the competition has grown now is just crazy.
“Looking back on this year, almost every game was tough and anyone could have beaten anyone on the day.
“The crowds in Seattle are really next level.”
The Seattle Seawolves have advanced to the 2024 Major League Rugby finals. Photo: Provided
As for the loan system mentioned by Mason, the former Waratah believes it would be wise for Rugby Australia to forge partnerships with clubs in the MLR, especially given the influx of fringe players and coaches to the country.
“I think it has tremendous opportunity,” Mason said. “It’s just a matter of adjusting the competition to allow that to happen.
“They have a closing week, but honestly, it’s very late in the year and I think the (New England) Free Jacks work pretty well in that respect. They played the last five games with many ITM Cup players.
“I think partnerships need to happen, and I think there’s increasing competition to have them.
“It’s not like Japan, where it’s almost completely professional and there’s too much money to do that.
“I know there are a lot of Australian players who have just arrived in LA (Rugby FC Los Angeles, the new director of rugby is Stephen Hoiles). Sam Harris is an assistant coach and I think Hoilesy plays a pretty big role there as well.
“I think this is a great opportunity for people or academy players who don’t get real game time professionally. They take care of the accommodation, they get these guys a car, they get to be in a professional environment and hopefully they get to play once a week.”
Mack Mason celebrates with his Seawolves teammates after scoring for Seattle. Photo: Provided
As for Mason, that’s not the least of his worries when he returns to the farm.
But his astute suggestions could ensure Australian rugby does not see another player with Mason’s extremely promising potential fail Down Under.
Writer Christy recently traveled to Seattle with Visit Seattle to explore the city’s electric sports atmosphere, outdoor adventures, and renowned food scene. Christy explored Pike Place Market and joined the Coffee Crawl there. Seattle’s coffee is probably the best in the country. He also checked out the iconic Dick’s Burgers and stopped by sports bar Rough & Tumble. This sports bar is the second female-owned, female-centric sports bar in the United States.
In addition to food, he took in spectacular views of the Seattle skyline, Cascade Mountains, and Olympic Mountains on a kayak tour of Elliott Bay with Alki Kayak Tours. As part of her Seattle sports tour, Christy visited the historic Shell House, home of the legendary “Boys in the Boat” and a symbol of rowing excellence. Meanwhile, Filson, the iconic Seattle-based outdoor clothing brand, provided a beautiful backdrop for Christy’s interview with Detlef Schrempf and Philipp Grubauer and is the best place for shopping in town! During her trip, Christie stayed at the Hotel Alexis in downtown Seattle.
Seattle’s blend of nature and the urban edge attracts professional athletes and fans alike. This visit was to check the flow of sporting events ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The city is preparing to host six games at its home stadium.
Find out more at Visit Seattle or book your trip through ittravel today.
