WENDELL SAILOR ANNOUNCES HIS RETIREMENT
Thursday, 12 November 2009
Dragons winger and dual international Wendell Sailor has today announced his retirement from the game of rugby league and professional sport after 11 seasons in top flight rugby league and five in rugby union.
After 222 matches in the NRL, Sailor, alongside his first and last coach in Wayne Bennett and Dragons CEO Peter Doust said the time was right to pull the curtain on his remarkable and eventful career.
It is somewhat ironic sitting here today next to Wayne Bennett announcing my retirement, when I first went to Brisbane as a skinny 17 year old kid he told me I couldnt play
well as we all know I went on to become a dual International and he even followed me here to the Dragons, said Sailor.
Even though this is a major decision in anyones life, it is not one that I had to think too much about. I came back to rugby league and achieved what I wanted and needed to, with a fantastic club in the Dragons, added Sailor.
I have had my time and now I am ready to step aside and let the great young players here have their turn. My family and I are ready for this next phase in our lives and I look forward to still being a part of the Dragons for many years to come.
Sailor, one of the games great entertainers, said he was extremely grateful for the overwhelming support shown to him by everyone involved in rugby league throughout his 16 year career.
There are many people who have supported me throughout my entire career in rugby league and to them I am very grateful, said Sailor. I would especially like to thank the people who were instrumental in getting my career back on track here at the Dragons; Nathan Brown, Peter Doust and the senior players back in 2007.
I will be forever grateful to these blokes; they believed in me, they gave me the chance to redeem myself, added Sailor. They gave me the opportunity to continue to do what I love, to continue to play footy and to contribute positively with enthusiasm, hard work, energy and a few laughs along the way.
The popular and charismatic Sailor was born in Sarina, Queensland and began his career with the Brisbane Broncos as a 19 year-old in 1993, winning four premierships in his seven years and 189 games at the club. Sailor also gained representative honours with Queensland (17 games) and Australia (19 games), and was named Player of the Tournament at the 2000 Rugby League World Cup.
In 2001 Sailor signed with the Australian Rugby Union, starting a trend of high-profile rugby league converts to the 15-a-side game. Sailor made his rugby union debut in 2001 for the Queensland Reds and gained his first representative honour in 2002 when he was chosen to represent Australia, going on to play 37 Tests. In 2005 Sailor left the Reds to play with the New South Wales Waratahs.
In May of 2006 Sailor was banned from competitive sport in Australia for two years for testing positive to recreational drugs and experienced the most challenging time of his life.
Sailor spent much of his sabbatical within the community, helping others and since returning to professional sport, he has continued to work within the community, proving that you can get a second chance in life.
Having my sport taken away from me was definitely the lowest time of my life, said Sailor. I let a lot of people down with that stupid mistake and I just knew I had to make things right.
I had the unwavering support of my family and friends, especially my wife Tara and children Tristan and Matisse throughout this tough time and we all knew that I wasnt finished and that returning to rugby league was the right thing to do, added Sailor.
In 2008 Sailor joined the St George Illawarra Dragons and began his road to redemption, playing 33 matches and scoring 17 of his 127 career tries over the past two seasons with the traditional Sydney-based club.
Sailor proved to be a crowd favourite at the Dragons, with his on-field form and entertaining antics endearing Sailor to the red and white faithful, while his work outside of football and in the community officially recognised this season when Sailor was nominated for the games highest community honour, the Ken Stephens Medal.
It is fair to say that Wendells return to rugby league in 2008 after his very public mistake and suspension whilst playing rugby union was met with widespread scepticism, said Dragons CEO Peter Doust. Yet largely through his brutal honesty and endeavours in the community, Wendell has successfully re-built his brand and image to become one of the most popular and influential characters in Australian sport.
Wendell is a unique person, the energy and enthusiasm he has brought to the Dragons both on and off the field has been nothing short of remarkable, added Doust. I am sure that all Dragons fans will be very pleased to know that Wendell will remain a part of our Club and the game, he will have an ambassadorial role with the Dragons, working within Red V Membership, Partnerships, Dragons Community and Dragons TV.
The NRL have also offered Wendell a role within their One Community program and have acknowledged that should the public vote continue as it has and he can maintain his selection in the Indigenous team for the match against the All Stars at Skilled Park on the Gold Coast on February 13.
Wendell has finished his career in a way that has inspired the community, said NRL CEO David Gallop. Hes shown that people cannot only overcome their mistakes but they can be better for the experience. In doing so hes brought joy and excitement to thousands of fans and provided guidance to young players.
We are keen to see him play an important role in our one community programme and a role in promoting rugby league, added Gallop.
Wayne Bennett has been as close as anyone to Sailor throughout his time in professional sport, admiring him both as an athlete and a person.
I have had a lot of wonderful milestones in my coaching career, but to have coached Wendell in his first game in 1993 and his last game in 2009 with all of the things that have happened along the way and in between has been very special, said Bennett.
No other player has challenged me as much as Wendell because of this personality, but I have loved the challenge and like everyone else, enjoy being in his company.
It has afforded me the opportunity to have a wonderful insight into the life of a pretty extraordinary person. He talked it up when he was 17 when I first met him and he has continued to talk up a cyclone ever since. That is the Wendell package; you cant have one without the other.
For all the talk and antics, Wendell is an absolute professional. Never once when he was training or playing did I ever have to chastise him about his effort, he was a great role model for others and a great team person.
To his credit, through his efforts, remorse and cander he won back the respect of the nation and his personality both on and off the field has been just the tonic that the game of rugby league needed.
I know as a coach Wendell has made the right decision, he feels good and comfortable with his decision and he will leave the game as all champions should, on top, said Bennett. We will miss him, the game will miss him but the good news is he wont be lost to the Club or the game.
http://www.dragons.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=21225
