Sydney Roosters forward Willie Mason underwent successful knee surgery after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament last Friday.

The season-ending knee injury occurred in the Roosters' 10-0 win over St George Illawarra and also ruled the Test forward out of Australia's World Cup campaign.

Roosters officials opted against the latest surgical method of an artificial graft, which allowed Sydney Swan Nick Malceski to return to play in just 86 days, and Mason underwent a conventional knee reconstruction in a Sydney hospital on Monday.

He will remain in hospital for a few more days and is likely to return to playing midway through next season.

"We went with the traditional knee reconstruction and he will be in a little bit more pain but (the knee) will be safer and tighter this way,' said Roosters doctor John Orchard.

"This type of surgery has more runs up on the board in terms of its success rate in getting players back onto the field and with the artificial graft he still wouldn't have been able to return for three to four months.

"He was yapping away after he came out of the operation so he should keep the nurses busy over the next few days."

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