Former NRL hit man Willie Mason has reignited his feud with Knights halfback Tyson Gamble, declaring he “doesn’t belong in first grade”.
Mason, a former Knights player himself, was critical of Gamble just prior to the 2023 finals series, and he’s teed off on the 28-year-old again on his Levels Network podcast.
“With Gamble, I know I’ve had my little tussle with him, but … he doesn’t belong in first grade,” said Mason.
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“He is not a seven. He is a 14. He can’t run that (team).
“You can’t have Gamble and [Fletcher] Sharpe as your halves … his kicking game is sub-par. Everything is very, very average.
“He needs a lot of help around him. That’s not the answer there.”
Gamble famously told Mason to “get “f***ed” after the Knights’ elimination final win over the Raiders in week one of the 2023 finals series.
That was before the Knights were thrashed by the Warriors in the week two semi-finals.
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Gamble has recently undergone back surgery and only returned to action last weekend against the Sharks.
But that didn’t stop Mason, a premiership winner and Clive Churchill medallist in 2004 with the Bulldogs, from sinking the boot in.
The Knights won their first two games in 2025, but they’ve now suffered four straight losses since then and have by far the worst attacking record of any team this season, scoring just 60 points in their first six games.
Newcastle are languishing in 14th spot on the ladder.
Gamble spoke to The Newcastle Herald about his injury, which occurred late last year at training and flared up repeatedly over a nine-month period.
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“It wasn’t fun,” Gamble said.
“Some days were really good. I’d go through months … where I wouldn’t have a problem, but as soon as I hurt it, I struggled to get out of bed.
“The couple of weeks leading up to surgery was the worst pain I’ve ever felt.
“It was that bad I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sit at a table. I live five minutes from here and I had to keep pulling over and laying my seat down to straighten out so the nerve wasn’t stretched.
“I think I lost about five or six kilos in two weeks. It was pretty hard to put back on, but I’m glad that’s done now.
“I’m glad I got the surgery. It’s a bit nerve-racking going in and you’re going to have surgery so close to your spine … but it was the best thing I could have done.”
Gamble has been named at halfback for the Knights’ clash with the Warriors on Friday night in Christchurch.
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