Canberra Stadium, 2pm today: more ornaments than a Christmas tree. Craig Fitzgibbon will lead out the Roosters before the highly respected warrior, Alan Tongue, takes out the Raiders.

Fitzgibbon is a fair-minded individual but the mere mention of the players' poll that voted teammate and Test forward Willie Mason the game's most overrated player - in other words, a flickering bauble - has him about to short-circuit.

"I'd like to know how many of the blokes who voted for him would be brave enough to do it if their name was published with their votes," Fitzgibbon said at a training camp at Batemans Bay aimed at getting the Roosters away from the peaceful chaos of World Youth Day activities in Sydney.

"I don't think Willie would be getting many votes then. There's a pattern with that poll - the Roosters keep winning it. I don't know why, and I don't really care. I'm not sure how seriously players take it because no one has to put their names to it. You can have a go at anyone you want. Name the players who vote and then we'll see what the polls say.

"It's water off a duck's back to Willie. He's been criticised a bit lately, but it doesn't get to him. You'd like to think it will make him respond against Canberra."

There was a time when Mason spoke his mind. Every utterance was news of varying quality. But times have changed. He told The Sun-Herald yesterday he wasn't saying anything to anyone. He has 80 minutes this afternoon to prove he's far from overrated. Big William, your time starts at 2pm.

Rugby League Week magazine has handed out the "most overrated" tag since 2000. Roosters five-eighth Braith Anasta has been the recipient four times, albeit on a couple of occasions while at the Bulldogs.

Ridiculously, one of the greatest of greats, current Roosters mentor Brad Fittler, took it out in 2001. Former Roosters glamour boy Craig Wing was the inaugural recipient in 2000, while one of the best centres in the code, Justin Hodges, polled the most votes while at the club in 2004.

Fitzgibbon might not care about the reason, but it's as clear as the nose smeared across the face of one of his opponents this afternoon - Tongue - after eight years of being belted. An anonymous poll is an easy way for rivals jealous of the Roosters club and their players to take a cheap shot at the supposed glamour boys.

Intriguing clash coming up, eh? The Raiders are coming off the confidence injection of beating the previously high-flying Dragons. The Roosters are reeling from their shock loss to the under-strength Titans.

The Roosters belted Canberra 30-4 in round nine but Fitzgibbon said he had the utmost respect for the Raiders, who are the hosts in a freezer otherwise known as Canberra Stadium.

"Alan Tongue is an ornament to the game," said another ornament to the game.

"He's a machine, Tonguey. Everyone you talk to admires his toughness and resilience. You never heard a bad word about him."