SUSPENDED Wallabies rugby union winger Wendell Sailor wants his drug ban reduced so he can return to rugby league and play for St George Illawarra in the NRL.
Sailor has been banned for two years by the Australian Rugby Union after failing a drug test earlier this year for cocaine. The dual international, a former Brisbane Broncos, Queensland and Australian Test winger, is fighting for his ban to be overturned and said he would like to return to league if he was successful.
"If that opportunity came along and hopefully if my ban got cut, I would probably love nothing more to run out there in a red and white jersey," Sailor told the Nine Network.
A move to the Dragons has been backed by the club's coach Nathan Brown who said: "I'm a believer that Wendell should get a second chance. I'm happy to go on the record and say that he is a good guy."
Sailor's claim comes after North Queensland NRL player Mitchell Sargent signed a three-year deal with Newcastle last week, a fortnight after he too failed a drug test for the recreational drug cocaine.
Sargent's failed test occurred in-house, and he was only sacked by his club, whereas Sailor's test was part of the drug agency program and he was hit with the full two-year ban demanded by the World Anti-Doping Authority.
Sailor believes the WADA code needs to be changed.
"Anyone who's ever been in trouble for social drugs, they don't take it to enhance their performance, so something has got to be done about that (WADA drug) code," he said.
The disgraced winger said he had served his punishment.
"At stages through the last five months you think you're the worst person in world," Sailor said.
"Even though (I am) remorseful for it, the way (the media are) writing things I just thought I should have been in Silverwater prison.
"I would like people to think 'well he has certainly paid his price and is looking to make himself a better person'."
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,20386921-5003409,00.html
Sailor has been banned for two years by the Australian Rugby Union after failing a drug test earlier this year for cocaine. The dual international, a former Brisbane Broncos, Queensland and Australian Test winger, is fighting for his ban to be overturned and said he would like to return to league if he was successful.
"If that opportunity came along and hopefully if my ban got cut, I would probably love nothing more to run out there in a red and white jersey," Sailor told the Nine Network.
A move to the Dragons has been backed by the club's coach Nathan Brown who said: "I'm a believer that Wendell should get a second chance. I'm happy to go on the record and say that he is a good guy."
Sailor's claim comes after North Queensland NRL player Mitchell Sargent signed a three-year deal with Newcastle last week, a fortnight after he too failed a drug test for the recreational drug cocaine.
Sargent's failed test occurred in-house, and he was only sacked by his club, whereas Sailor's test was part of the drug agency program and he was hit with the full two-year ban demanded by the World Anti-Doping Authority.
Sailor believes the WADA code needs to be changed.
"Anyone who's ever been in trouble for social drugs, they don't take it to enhance their performance, so something has got to be done about that (WADA drug) code," he said.
The disgraced winger said he had served his punishment.
"At stages through the last five months you think you're the worst person in world," Sailor said.
"Even though (I am) remorseful for it, the way (the media are) writing things I just thought I should have been in Silverwater prison.
"I would like people to think 'well he has certainly paid his price and is looking to make himself a better person'."
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,20386921-5003409,00.html
