Big Dell hangs up his famous white boots

Roar Pro

By The Roar, 12 Nov 2009 The Roar is a Roar Pro

Tagged:: NRL, rugby lague, Rugby Union, wallabies, Wendell Sailor

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Wendell Sailor wearing the St. George Illawarra jersey after announcing his signing with NRL St. George Illawarra team at WIN Stadium, Wollongong, Monday, May 12, 2008. Sailor has just completed a two-year doping ban after testing positive to cocaine in 2006. AAP Image/Dean Lewins

Love him or hate him, you certainly couldn’t ignore him. Wendell Sailor, flamboyant and polarising, announced his retirement today and a move into a new role as an ambassador for the St George Illawarra Dragons.

Over a distinguished career (that wasn’t without its moments), Sailor electrified both league and union fans with his powerful surges on the field, and his attitude off it.

The former Queensland State of Origin star will be remembered for a career that took him from a long stint at the Brisbane Broncos, to a controversial time at the Wallabies – for whom he made 37 international appearances – and back again to rugby league at the St George Illawarra Dragons.

Along the way, he served a two-year drug ban, after testing positive to cocaine use in 2006, and never failed to stir up debate about his form, his personality, and his often outrageous behaviour.

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The Crowd Says (28) | Page 1 of Comments

oikee said | November 12th 2009 @ 10:39am | Report comment

I wonder if he is still playing the Indigernous game. Big Dell , he will be as good off the field as he was on the field. Good luck to him. I suppose we will now see him nearly every week, his big dail on tele.

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- Mick from Giralang said | November 12th 2009 @ 12:39pm | Report comment
  
  Oikee: He has great potential for TV…his appearances on various Channel Nine footy shows this year revealed his a natural on air.
  
  One endearing memory of Wendell — whenever he ran out of the tunnel at the beginning of a game, he always took the trouble to high five any kids in the vicinity.
  
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  - Chris said | November 12th 2009 @ 7:27pm | Report comment
    
    I have a feeling the footy show will use him to replace Matty Johns
    
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PastHisBest said | November 12th 2009 @ 10:49am | Report comment

Daily, Oikee. At least once per.

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oikee said | November 12th 2009 @ 11:00am | Report comment

True.

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sheek said | November 12th 2009 @ 11:14am | Report comment

I liked the guy. He will be missed.

You know, when he was a youngster, some well-meaning people tried to change Bradman’s batting style, but he decided to stay true to himself. The rest was history.

When Dell first came across to union, some well-meaning people tried to change Dell into a “rugby union” type winger. Dell should have been left alone as he was, a ‘bash-through’ type of winger, & given as much ball as possible in space.

Having brought Dell across to union for big bikkies, union wasn’t at all smart in the way they used him.

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Brett McKay said | November 12th 2009 @ 11:15am | Report comment

Well played Wendell, the game will be poorer for your absence..

Oikee, the AAP reports around say he’ll play the All Star-Dreamtime game if selected…

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oikee said | November 12th 2009 @ 11:26am | Report comment

Thanks Brett, thats good news. Will be his final hooray then. Better see if any tickets are available.

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- Brett McKay said | November 12th 2009 @ 11:34am | Report comment
  
  it’d certainly be hard to see him not selected now..
  
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mattamkII said | November 12th 2009 @ 1:02pm | Report comment

yep thanks Dell.

I loved watching him play and think he did much more in Union than people gave him credit for. Sure he was no Lomu but he was equal to just about any winger in world rugby at that time (other than a couple of Kiwis) – playing on that wing in that era must have bored the tits off him.

Two moments I remember well are 1) the end to end try he scored against wales 2) the try he scored against the Argies in RWC2003 opener…both brilliant

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- Aljay said | November 12th 2009 @ 2:16pm | Report comment
  
  Agree – so much of the anti-Sailor rhetoric is just anti-league snobbery. I also remember two fairly good tries against the All Blacks and the English prior to RWC03 where he ran THROUGH the lineout to score. They were certainly tries that Staniforth & Stcherbina could not have scored.
  
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mattamkII said | November 12th 2009 @ 1:06pm | Report comment

And Sheek, you’re right.

They coached him to be paranoid about turn overs so he seemed to pull back on a regular basis – same with Lote.

Wish both those guys were given free will to ‘just clap on that gas and back them self’. The times they did were magic.

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Bill said | November 12th 2009 @ 1:25pm | Report comment

Thanks for the memories Dell!!! I think Wendell would still beat Lote in a foot race.

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Andrew Logan said | November 12th 2009 @ 1:31pm | Report comment

You’re very right Sheek. I was always a critic of Sailor being played over Staniforth, as my view was that Staniforth was a much superior union winger positionally and decision wise.

However, union used him poorly and instead of saying to him “Don’t get isolated”, they should have been saying to his teammates, “If he makes a bust, don’t leave him to get isolated”. It was pretty rare that he didn’t leave time for guys to get there anyway, as he stayed on his feet most times with 2-3 guys hanging off him.

When he had ball going forward into traffic, there have been few backs as strong and fearless. Stirling Mortlock, Nathan Grey maybe. Only a select few would have scored his try against the Argies in 2003.

Great to see him back to top form this year, playing the game that suited him best, with a team that used him well.

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