Wendell Sailor
Sailor playing for the Dragons in 2008
Personal information
Full name	Wendell Jermaine Sailor
Nickname	Big Dell
Born	16 July 1974 (1974-07-16) (age 35)
	Sarina, Queensland, Australia
Height	191 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Weight	106 kg (16 st 10 lb)
Playing information
Rugby league
Position	Wing
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1993–01	Brisbane Broncos	189	110	1	0	454
2008–2009	St George Illawarra	33	17	0	0	68
	Total	222	127	1	0	522
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1994–01	Australia	14	7	0	0	28
1996–01	Queensland	14	1	0	0	4
1997	Queensland (SL)	3	1	0	0	4
1997	Australia (SL)	5	4	0	0	16
Rugby union
Position	Wing
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2002–05	Queensland Reds	47	12	0	0	60
2006	New South Wales	8	4	0	0	20
	Total	55	16	0	0	80
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2003–06	Australia	37	13	0	0	65
As of 09:13, 14 September 2008 (UTC)
Source: NRL Stats

Wendell Jermaine Sailor (born 16 July 1974 in Sarina, Queensland) is an Australian former professional rugby football player who represented his country in both rugby league and rugby union - a dual code international. He is an Australian Torres Strait Islander^[1].

Sailor's large frame and bullocking style changed the way wingers played rugby league in the late nineties. His big-money move from the Brisbane Broncos to the Queensland Reds in 2001 created many headlines, as did his move at the end of the 2005 Super 12 season to the New South Wales Waratahs. He has often attracted public attention during his career, none more so than in 2006 after he was found to have used cocaine before a football match. This put an end to his rugby union career as he received a two year suspension from all forms of professional sport. He successfully returned to rugby league in May 2008 with NRL club St George Illawarra Dragons once his ban expired.^[2]

[edit] Playing career

[edit] 1993 - 2001: Rugby league

In his inaugural year for the Brisbane Broncos, Sailor played in a handful of games, scoring three tries in his first season,^[1] though Sailor had limited involvement that year, the club won the premiership, defeating the St. George Dragons 14-6. After his impressive debut season, he won the Rookie of the Year award at the Broncos club.

The following season Sailor took part in more games, scoring 14 tries.^[2] Such a rapid improvement over the course of two seasons saw Sailor become a regular in the Broncos ranks. He quickly became a home crowd favourite in Brisbane because of his speed and power and would soon become a household name in the rugby league world. At the end of the 1994 season he was selected for the 1994 Kangaroo Tour of Europe. He played in the opening fixture against a Cumbrian side where he scored two tries. He then started off the bench in a warm up match against Leeds, before earning a starting wing spot in the next match against Wigan and then playing off the bench again against Castleford. Sailor was again promoted to a starting wing position for the match against Halifax, scoring two tries. He then earned his first Test cap against Great Britain, as a starting wing in their loss at Wembley Stadium in late October.^[3]

Sailor was first selected to represent Queensland in the 1996 State of Origin. Following the defection of the Brisbane Broncos to Super League, Wendell had a stellar year in the rebel competition. He was the top try-scorer for the Broncos and helped them win the premiership, defeating the Cronulla Sharks 26-8 in the final. That same year the Broncos also won Super League's expanded 1997 World Club Challenge tournament.

After the Super League war ended, the Broncos won the inaugural competition of the National Rugby League, defeating the Canterbury Bulldogs 38-12 in the grand final, in which Sailor scored a try. He spent the Australian summer in England, playing rugby union for Leeds Tykes and scoring 15 tries in 13 games. Sailor also appeared in two of the Leeds Rhinos trial games.^[4] England's Wigan club had tried to sign Sailor for a large amount, but he decided to stay with the Broncos^[3].

In 1999 Sailor put in a man-of-the-match performance in the deciding match of the State of Origin which saw Queensland retain the shield. A year later Sailor was again the Broncos' top try-scorer (along with Lote Tuqiri) as well as a premiership winning man, the Broncos taking the 2000 title, defeating the Sydney Roosters 14-6. That year he won the Best Back award and the Player of the Year award at the Brisbane Broncos as well as being awarded the Australian Sports Medal for his contribution to Australia's international standing in the sport of rugby league.

More success followed for Sailor as he traveled to Europe to compete in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup for Australia. He finished as the tournament's top try-scorer as well as boasting two tries in the defeat of the Kiwis in the final. He was named best player of the tournament. Following the victory, Kangaroo coach Chris Anderson stated that "he's up there with Eric Grothe among the best of all time"^[4].

Following the World Cup, many speculated that Sailor, who was off contract with the Broncos the following year, would sign for an English club in the English Super League competition, as many Australian rugby league stars do. Talks apparently began with leading English clubs Wigan, Leeds and Bradford^[5]. However the ARU were able to put up the funds to lure him to rugby union, making Sailor the first current Australian test rugby league player to change to the 15-man game after decades of the opposite trend.^[5]

The big man changed the way the position of winger was traditionally played in rugby league. His large frame allowed him to come in and take more numerous and effective hit-ups, relieving some of the pressure on his forward pack. This proved invaluable in many Broncos' games he played in. When Lote Tuqiri, another large, mobile winger joined Sailor as partner on the other wing, they made the Broncos a nightmare to defend against. Sailor is one of a handful of elite players to score over 100 tries for the club. He is became the record co-holder of most tries in a Broncos match, with four.

[edit] 2001 - 2006: Rugby union

Sailor shocked the Australian sports community on February 7, 2001, when it was announced by the Australian Rugby Union that they had reached an agreement with Rugby league superstar Wendell Sailor regarding a switch to Rugby union. Sailor signed a letter of intent with the ARU in February as well as signing with the Queensland Reds. The deal was formally completed in July, with Sailor set to leave League on the first day of November.^[6] He scored his first try in the Super 12 in his seventh match, where he scored twice and narrowly missed out on a hat-trick.

Sailor made his Wallaby debut with former Queensland Maroons teammate and league convert Mat Rogers in a Test match against France in June 2002. Collectively at that point they became the 41st and 42nd Australian dual code internationals. Sailor then released his book, Crossing Over which details the troubles he had in changing codes and describes the differences between the two. The following season he thrived and showed that he had made some good adaptations to his new game.^[6]

In 2003, Sailor was selected for the Wallabies to participate in that year's World Cup. He played in the opening match between Australia and Argentina, where he scored the first try of the tournament. Sailor played several games during the World Cup including the final.

Sailor came off contract with the Reds after the 2005 Super 12 season, the media speculated that he would either move to Japan or sign with new franchise Western Force.^{[citation needed]} However, he signed with the New South Wales Waratahs to play in the 2006 season. The Waratahs won the opening game of the 2006 season at Suncorp Stadium against Queensland.

[edit] Cocaine controversy

Sailor was involved in a controversy in a trip to South Africa, whilst injured, he had a confrontation with a patron in a pub. He was suspended for a number of matches, but returned in round six, scoring two tries in the win over fellow Australian team, the Western Force.

On May 13, 2006, hours before the final pool match of the Super 14 competition, it was announced that Sailor was to be suspended indefinitely from representing either the NSW Waratahs or Australian Rugby Team after returning a positive drug test for cocaine. Sailor's manager confirmed in a statement it was a doping offence.^[7] The NSW Waratahs went on to lose a tight game against the Wellington Hurricanes, ensuring the Super 14 semi-final would be held in Wellington.

After WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) tests confirmed that Sailor's urine 'A' sample from the pre-match test had contained indicators of cocaine, Sailor chose to have the second half of his sample retested. The second test results were not published to the media within the timeframe expected, leading to speculation that Sailor's 'B' sample had proved inconclusive or been mishandled, thereby providing an opportunity for appeal^[8]. Eventually the 'B' sample results were announced, and proved to be positive.

The ASADA (Australian Sports Anti-Doping Agency) immediately banned Sailor from competitive sport within Australia for 2 years.^{[citation needed]} In an attempt to get the ban overturned or reduced, Sailor made an appeal to the ARU Judicial Body, asserting that he had not ingested cocaine within the 96 hours prior to the urine sample being taken. He further argued that he received no performance-enhancing benefits from cocaine, and that the clear scientific evidence is that cocaine is a short-acting stimulant that has effect for no more than two hours at most and that neither it nor its metabolites could have any performance enhancing benefit if taken more than 96 hours before a match.^[9]

Sailor claimed that because of the time lapse of more than four days, the cocaine could not be deemed as used "in competition", and so was not a prohibited substance.^{[citation needed]}

When quizzed by the ARU Judiciary, Sailor admitted that during previous drug tests he had received anti-doping information cards which carry the warning that all elite athletes are responsible for any banned substance in their system. When asked whether he was aware that cocaine is a banned substance, he confirmed that he was. The ARU upheld that whether Sailor considered the substance performance-enhancing or not, Sailor was aware that cocaine was a banned substance at the time of ingestion, and refused to reduce or overturn the ban.^[10]

On the 23rd of July, Sailor penned a column in the Sunday Telegraph explaining his actions and apologising to his fans and family, the first public confession or apology he made since the incident came to light.^[11]

[edit] 2007 - 2009: Rugby league comeback

Sailor in 2008

In carrying out his ban, Sailor was heavily involved in charity work and alcohol and drug awareness programs with young people in an attempt to make amends for his actions.^{[citation needed]} He also does corporate work as a public speaker.^{[citation needed]}

Since his exit from rugby union, several new streams of income have emerged for Sailor. He appeared on the television series, Dancing with the Stars. In addition, he provided NRL commentary for Channel Nine.

Speaking to a Sydney radio station in March 2007, Wendell stated he did not intend to let his career end in drug shame and that a number of NRL clubs had approached him in talks for his services once his ban ended in April 2008.^[12] He would not disclose which clubs had approached him. At the time, media speculation linked Sailor to the South Sydney Rabbitohs but in June, 2007, it was announced that Sailor would be joining the St George Illawarra Dragons on a two-year incentive based contract when his ban expired in April, 2008. Many former NRL players supported the move, believing that Sailor would have a positive impact on the young Dragons squad. On Monday, 12 May 2008, Sailor officially commenced his contract with the St. George Illawarra Dragons.^[7]

Sailor returned to rugby league playing initially for the Shellharbour Marlins (Dragons feeder team) in the New South Wales Cup. On 17 May, he scored two tries playing on the wing for Shellharbour at Ron Costello Oval. He played there for a further two weeks before moving up to the Dragons' NRL team. On 6 June, on the weekend preceding State of Origin game two, Sailor made his NRL comeback in a depleted St. George Illawarra lineup against his former club, the Brisbane Broncos. He only played in the first half of the match as he suffered a fractured cheekbone whilst making a tackle.

Sailor played a few more games for the Dragons as well as the Burleigh Bears in the Queensland Cup whenever he didn't make the St. George Illawarra NRL side. He scored his first NRL try since he left the League in 2001 against his former team the Brisbane Broncos in round 23. He later scored a hat-trick in the Dragons' 40-14 demolishing of the Eels in round 25.

Sailor was named in the 70 man Indigenous Australia squad alongside fellow Dragon Jamie Soward for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup. The Celtic Crusaders and French Rugby Union were looking to sign him for 2009, despite him having one more year on his contract with the Dragons).

For the 2009 season Sailor was re-united with the coach whom he began his professional career and won three premierships with, Wayne Bennett who had left the Brisbane broncos to coach the St. George Illawarra Dragons. Sailor was an influential figure in the Dragons side as he helped his side finish first in the regular season to gain the Minor Premiership. Sailor was recognised for his efforts as one of four nominees for the Dally M Winger of the year.

Sailor's 16 year career in professional sport came to an end when he announced his retirement at a press conference on November 12, 2009 at the age of 35.^[8]

[edit] References

• ^  Wendell to set sail for Super League BBC October 25, 2000. Retrieved February 17, 2006.
• ^  Sailor completes code switch BBC July 2, 2001. Retrieved February 17, 2006.
• ^  Wendell Sailor* RLeague Retrieved February 17, 2006.
• ^  Australian Tour of Europe 1994 details hunterlink Retrieved February 17, 2006.
• ^  Sailor stood down over doping, manager says ABC Sport Retrieved May 14, 2006.
• ^  Wendell test may be tainted Sunday Times Wednesday, June 7, 2006
• ^  Sailor faces doping ban CNN International Friday, June 9, 2006
• ^ 
• Wendell's chances - slim, unlikely and none Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved June 15, 2006
• ^  Sailor Banned for Two Years Daily Telegraph July 21, 2006
• ^  Sailor argument naive News24
• ^  No-one can call me a drug cheat Sunday Telegraph July 23, 2006
• ^ WADA concerned by Gregan caffeine claims ABC Sport May 18, 2005
• ^  Tune to face Springboks BBC SportWednesday, 14 August, 2002
• ^ Sailor courted by clubs despite ban ABC SportFriday, 2 March, 2007

[edit] Further reading

• Sailor, Wendell (2003). Wendell: crossing over. ABC Books. ISBN 0733312314, 9780733312311. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=HcW5AAAACAAJ&source=gbs_navlinks_s. 

[edit] External links

• St George Illawarra Dragons profile
• State of Origin Official website Rugby League Player Stats
• 'The Politics of Wendell', Article from Workers Online
• Official NSW Waratahs profile
• Interview with Wendell on WHO.com
• Wendell saviour