Mason, 72, had been honoured with a Balmain Tigers Centenary Medal as part of the 100-year anniversary of league in Australia and the Balmain Club.

He was due to receive the medal alongside some of his team mates at a function at Balmain, but due to ill health wasn’t able to attend.

Instead the medal arrived in the mail in a package containing some club paraphernalia which included a letter from Balmain chief executive officer Tim Camiller explaining the honour.

Mason, who played first grade from 1956 to 1961, grew up in Balmain and played through the junior grades before fulfilling a lifetime ambition of turning out in the world’s toughest rugby league competition.

However, he could just as likely have ended up playing in the blue and white of Canterbury.

“A bloke took me up to Canterbury to trial with them, but then they introduced the residential rule, so I went back to Balmain,” he said.

“I wanted to go back so it was okay.”

Mason’s team mates were a who’s who of black-and-gold greats. There was Keith Barnes, Laurie Fagan, Bill Bishoff, Ronnie Mack, Bob Boland to name a few.

Versatility was one of Mason’s strengths as a player. He could slot into halfback, five-eighth, centre or fullback.

It is easy for Mason to recall the highlight of playing for Balmain in those days.

“Beating St George,” he said.

The Dragons were in the midst of their golden run of premierships in Mason’s heyday and were the tall poppy everyone wanted to cut down.

One of Mason’s enduring memories was the 1956 grand final against St George, which the Tigers lost

12-8.

“It was a tough game, but we had them beaten,” he recalled.

“We kicked for the line, but never found it, and King (St George winger Johnny King) got the ball, ran the length of the field and scored under the posts.”

Mason won the club’s best back award for the 1959 season.

He played under the legendary Harry Bath, who was a notoriously hard trainer.

“Training was very hard, but we liked and respected Harry,” Mason said.

After finishing his playing days at Balmain, Mason moved to Canberra, where he captain-coached the Monaro representative side. His stint included leading the side against South Africa in 1963.

He returned to the Tigers and coached their under 23s side in the early 1970s, until a workplace accident left him with an acquired brain injury and unable to continue in the role.

Mason moved with his wife Patricia to Tuross Head in 1990, and when Patricia passed away in 2000, his daughter Adrienne moved to Tuross to be at his side. They moved to Sunshine Bay in August last year, making it easier for him to cheer for the Bay Tigers at Mackay Park this

season.

Mason is still a keen supporter of Wests Tigers, but to him, they will always be Balmain.

“Bay Tigers sounds better than Wests Tigers,” he said.