At last rediscovering some vintage form, Willie Mason says he "wouldn't say no" to extending his NRL stay with North Queensland.

The former Test star drew glowing praise from coach Neil Henry despite Saturday's 36-18 loss to Newcastle and, following six games off the bench after his off-season move from the Roosters, Mason will almost certainly start against Parramatta in Townsville on Friday night.

Showing glimpses of his prime with a second-half offload that almost turned the game the depleted Cowboys' way, Mason agreed he was getting back to his best after his knee reconstruction late in the 2008 season.

"Hundred per cent, easily," Mason said.

"I feel like normal again, like I haven't had an injury so that's always good to have in the back of your head, when you can turn up and be a hundred per cent."

"With the year that I had last year and coming off a short pre-season, I think I probably needed those five or six games off the bench anyway to sort of get my legs, and now that I have found them there's no use playing me off the bench."

The return to form of his big gun will have Henry smiling, but Mason's hint that he would like to stay at the Cowboys should have him ecstatic.

Asked if he would like to extend his one-year deal, the 30-year-old said: "If everything works out.

"That's a long time ahead but I wouldn't say no, put it that way."

Cowboys CEO Peter Parr indicated he would seek Henry's thoughts on Mason's future this week.

"Certainly we'll discuss it sooner rather than later, I would have thought, about where or what we're going to do," Parr said.

"The decision might be that we still wait for a few weeks but we've been more worried about making sure he was settled in Townsville and concentrating on his football.

"Given where we're at as a club at the moment, I'd suggest we need him to continue concentrating on footy and not worrying about anything else too much.

"We always said it would be a wait and see process with him.

"He's starting to get back into some of the form we knew he was capable of and over the next few days I'll talk to the coach and see where's he's at with it and I'll have a yarn to Willie and see what if anything eventuates.

"There's a fair bit to discuss."

Henry will also be pleased to see Mason's passion on display in a full-throated spray at his team-mates after the Cowboys found themselves down 20-0 after 20 minutes at EnergyAustralia Stadium.

"It was just starting to be embarrassing, that's how it felt and it sucked," Mason said.

"I'm pretty sure everyone felt like that but that's the way it happens out there when you express yourself.

"If I'm not going to do it, who's going to do it?

"We obviously lost some leaders out there with Luke O'Donnell and our captain and vice-captain and probably vice-vice-captain, we lost them all in one game so someone has to step up."

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