Mason injured as Newcastle Knights fall to Sydney Roosters

Mason injured. Image credit. nrl.com

Willie Mason is set for a spell on the sidelines with a suspected torn calf sustained in Newcastle's bruising 28-12 defeat to the Sydney Roosters on Sunday.

The veteran front-rower was limping heavily after the game and was left with a large indentation to the side of his face and claimed he was targeted by his former team.

Sonny Bill Williams hit his ex-Canterbury teammate with a shoulder charge to his head that left Mason poleaxed in the first half and the superstar back-rower placed on report.

He was also caught by a stray elbow by Jared Waerea-Hargreaves but Mason wasn't complaining about the intensity of the game and hoped not to miss to much game time.

"Hopefully it's not torn," Mason said.

"I get pretty much scanned on my whole body tomorrow and a CT scan on my head because I have this indentation on my cheekbone.

"The calf has been an ongoing thing for pretty much the whole year and it's annoying as these are the games you really want to play in.

"But it's a little reality check that I am not 22. It's just one of those things. But it was a great game and our boys showed some fight and some spirit."

Mason will find out the severity of his injuries on Monday after being forced out of the game just before halftime.

"I think I had a bit of a target on my head today," he said.

"We knew it was going to be tough, but that doesn't matter Hargreaves plays the game tough I play the game tough.

"If you want to play the game tough you have to put your head where there's an elbow or a knee." AAP