Bulldogs 12 Roosters 40

Hours before last night's match, Willie Mason strolled along Coogee Bay Road and headed for his favourite cafe, seemingly oblivious to the fact he was about to confront his former teammates for the first time.

Alongside him was Reni Maitua, a good friend and brother from the 2004 grand final victory against the Roosters. If Mason was at war with the club he stormed out of - and the players he left behind - it wasn't with this one. Lattes with the enemy, even though Maitua wasn't playing last night.

Then Mason walked onto the turf of ANZ Stadium and unfurled his most dominant game for the tri-colours since his controversial defection. Something reminiscent of those he produced in eight seasons of first grade at Belmore. Whether Mason felt vindication from the 40-12 victory, only he knows. But when he crashed over for the opening try of the match in the 19th minute, he didn't lurch to his feet and bellow at the crowd. He simply lay on ground and eyeballed the Bulldogs faithful. He did the same when he scored his second in the 47th minute, which pushed the Roosters out to an unassailable 26-0 lead.

Point made and understood.

"I've moved on now - I'm a Rooster," he told Channel Nine on the sideline.

Last night's match saw Mason and three other former Bulldogs - Braith Anasta, Nate Myles and Mark O'Meley - pitted against their former team. The landslide victory must surely have been the sweetest of homecomings, although it came against the efforts of every sinew of the body of Sonny Bill Williams, who might have lost respect for Mason but earned plenty of his own. At the end of the game, Mason and Williams ended the week of death stares with a respectful embrace.

Before the match, Mason received his customary phonecall from his mother, Sonya, who had caught the train down from Newcastle to attend - just as she has done for every match of his career. "I reminded William to have his prayer," Sonya said. "Since he was seven, I've been asking him to say a little a prayer before the match. I'm sure he still does it."

Mason had put his mum and three of his siblings, including boxer Les, in a private box for the match because of safety concerns.

"I was going to watch it with my Bulldogs friends but one told me last night it might be safer to stay away," she said. "I'm nervous. I am not supporting any side tonight: just my son, William."

Thankfully, the faithful from both sides largely behaved themselves with the hostility consigned to the field.

Willie might have blown an opportunity early on when he ran into the back of his captain, Craig Fitzgibbon, close to the line and turned over possession. But he saved one a minute later when he knocked the ball out of Ben Roberts's hands as he was over the line. Not to be outdone, Williams responded with a run of Predator-like movements against his former brethren, stepping around O'Meley, pushing off Myles and running over the top of Anasta.

Then Williams remembered the script. As Mason was wrapped up in the tackle, he took aim, locked and unloaded his shoulder charge … It missed and moments later Mason steamed onto a short ball from Fitzgibbon and stormed over the top of Roberts, lock Lee Te Maari and fullback Luke Patten to score the first of his two tries.

If Mason had taken the glory, it was Anasta who sealed the fate of their former team with two pinpoint kicks that led to tries for Roosters winger Amos Roberts and halfback Mitchell Pearce. That allowed the Roosters to lead 20-0 at half-time.

It was uncertain last night if Mason was going to strictly follow Fittler's rule about players restricting their drinking sessions to one night of the week, and not directly after the match. Last Sunday, at the Clovelly Hotel, Mason slid down three Coronas then slowly rose to his feet and told his associates: "That will do me, boys. I'm off." It showed how serious he was taking the game ahead. But even Fittler would not have cared if the most controversial of his Bulldogs recruits snuck in something a bit stronger than a skim latte.

SYDNEY ROOSTERS 40 (W Mason 2 A Roberts M Pearce C Fitzgibbon S Sa S Kenny-Dowall tries C Fitzgibbon 5 A Roberts goals) bt BULLDOGS 12 (B Roberts C Hughes tries H El Masri 2 goals) at ANZ Stadium. Referee: T Archer. Crowd: 36,526.

HOW THE GAME UNFOLDED

3rd minute As referee Tony Archer changes his whistle, the only big hits are coming from the mics of Ray Warren and Matthew Johns. "Amid all the emotion he's blown the pea out of his whistle," Johns says.

4th minute Setaimata Sa gets all Gene Wilder in Blazing Saddles after Amos Roberts's knock down from an Anasta kick. No try - shaky hand.

11th minute Ben Roberts steps inside and reaches for the line like Wayne Carey at a retirement party, but big Willie makes his first telltale contribution by sticking out a bigger hand and pushing the ball out of Roberts's grasp.

19th minute TRY Mason bursts through after a Fitzgibbon pass and looks at the Dogs fans like he's just beaten them at trivia night down the Belmore bowlo. Fitzgibbon converts, 6-0.

28th minute TRY Anasta bomb, Heka Nanai can't sort the yellow from the brown wires, Amos Roberts blows by. Fitzgibbon converts, 12-0.

30th minute TRY Mitchell Pearce executes a balletic take and spin after an Anasta kick. Fitzgibbon converts, 18-0.

36th minute PENALTY GOAL Fitzgibbon, 20-0.

47th minute TRY Mitchell Aubusson feints to feed out wide but supplies Mason short and Willie grounds securely enough for the video referee's liking. Fitzgibbon converts, 26-0.

58th minute TRY Fitzgibbon picks up the pieces after Hazem El Masri drops a hanging Anasta kick, although the Roosters skipper pulls the conversion attempt wide. 30-0.

62nd minute TRY Ben Roberts provides a consolation for the Dogs, although his diagonal run from deep is good enough to win a grand final. El Masri converts, 30-6.

67th minute TRY Sa grounds on the blade of grass closest to the ANZ Stadium stands. Fitzgibbon misses conversion, 34-6.

77th minute TRY How to get a kick out of the Dogs: another boot; another drop; Shaun Kenny-Dowall over. Roberts converts, 40-6.

79th minute TRY Hughes with, er, another Dogs consolation. El Masri converts, 40-12.