By Wayne Heming
When FOG# 93 Wendell Sailor first walked through Brisbane’s Red Hill doors the club’s head coach Wayne Bennett was not sold on the cocky teenager from the Queensland rural town of Sarina. But, like so many players who graduated under Bennett’s teachings, Sailor ended his playing career a highly decorated dual international with a father figure and friend for life. Together they shared in four premierships.
They forged a unique partnership and working relationship which still exists 15 years after Sailor called it quits. Sailor made his NRL debut with the Broncos under Bennett in 1993 and ended his colourful NRL career under Bennett for St George Illawarra in 2009. As Sailor recalled during our recent interview, Bennett was at first hesitant to sign him when he arrived at the club.
“But after I won a 400-metre trial against guys like Steve Renouf and Chris Johns, our strength and conditioner Kelvin Giles put in a good word for me.”
Giles had coached Olympic athletes before he linked with the Broncos and was a very tough taskmaster. He told Bennett after the trial: “‘This kid Wendell Sailor …. I don’t know if he can play, but he can “fu***ng run..”
“After Kelvin spoke to Wayne, he pulled me aside and told me he thought I was a bit ‘on myself’ and a bit lazy. “He said: ‘Son, you can score a try but then you pat yourself on the back and tell yourself how good you are.’ “I told Wayne: ‘That’s because nobody can stop me.’
Bennett offered Sailor a $5,000 one-year contract and told him he either had to get a job or study. “I studied law because I wanted to help the next generation of islanders and indigenous people,” he said. “Wayne gave me a one-year contract and said if I went alright, he’d re-sign me and if I didn’t, I could nick off back to Sarina. “If it hadn’t worked out I’d probably be working with my Dad on the Sarina railways.
“Wayne helped me get my life back in order after I did the wrong thing using drugs.”
Sailor, who turned 50 recently, was a showman long before Brisbane’s newest star, and million-dollar-a-season player, Reece Walsh, arrived at Red Hill. A confessed extrovert, he wore matching diamond earrings and a bulky gold chain around his neck carrying his playing number 5.
“What a wanker I was,” he laughed when reminded of those early days.
“Yeah mate, I always had a high opinion of myself.
“I was watching American sport, watching superstars like Michael Jordan and Bo Jackson and while I never put myself up with those athletes, I was a big South Sea Islander who felt people with my coloured skin looked good.
“We had guys like Derek Rucker and Andre Moore who were stars in the NBL wearing bling, it was just the way it was then mate. “I started the trend at the Broncos and then Pearl (Renouf) got a necklace and Lote got some bling as well.
Bennett wasn’t a great fan of Sailor going on TV shows and on the radio talking himself up. But Sailor always backed his ability.
“Wayne would either watch it, I know he watched some TV shows, or he’d hear what I had said on the radio and he’d say to me the next day; "if you are going to talk it up, you better back it or no TV shows next week or the week after.’ “If I didn’t (back it up or play well), he’d give me the cold shoulder for a few days which I hated."
Sailor refused to join the queue of Walsh knockers declaring the young Broncos fullback would mature into a champion player. “We need to let our athletes be themselves. I like Reece and I am not going to pot him because the only fullback who is doing what he is doing is Darren Lockyer."
“He’s a tough kid and if you are going wear that stuff you have to produce it on the field. Reece is brilliant with the fans, I’ve seen it first-hand."
“He’s got a bit of old school about him. If I am Reece Walsh I’m telling myself to just enjoy playing footy. He has the potential to earn two million a year with his football and TikTok but he has the find the right balance in his life.”
Sailor had special praise for former teammate and now QRL boss Ben Ikin a former Origin roommate who also helped him transition from top player to media personality. Ikin gave Sailor a piece of advice which he followed and believes was the best tip he ever got going into commentary.
“Ben was always around Fox and Channel 9. He bumped into me one day and said: ‘Call the game through your eyes. Nobody else can call it through your eyes except you’ , and I never forgot that."
Ikin roomed with Sailor in Origin camps and even Sailor admitted he must have been happy when it was over. “I reckon if you called Ben he’d say he enjoyed being my roommate but I think he would say it was hard work.
“He still checks in on me and asks about my young bloke Tristan which says a lot about the person Ben is.” Sailor, who was adopted when he was just three days old, says he owes his success to his parents.
“They were both very humble and loving people.”
Sailor has two sons, Tristan and Jackon, to different mothers and a daughter, Matisse who works in the hospitality industry. He also has a granddaughter he has yet to meet.
In recent years he has battled some extremely dark times. At a difficult time when he was supporting his son, Tristan, against sexual assault charges, he also had to deal with the tragic loss of close friends Andrew Symonds and Paul Green, who died a few months apart in 2022. Tristan was found not guilty by a jury in Sydney’s District Court on both charges but the hearing dragged on for almost two years.
The added shock of losing both Symonds, killed in a car accident and Green, who took his own life, took a heavy toll on Sailor.
“Rod Marsh, Paul Green, Andrew Symonds, and Shane Warne were all friends of mine who passed away in a short time,” said an emotional Sailor.
“Roy was adopted as a baby like me and was a great mate. His death hit me pretty hard. Losing Greenie and Roy (Symonds) back-to-back was hard for me.
It broke me. At some point, you have to take a step back and take a look at life, because it’s short and it’s priceless.”
Sailor is part of a Facebook group chat with several former rugby league players and friends who constantly “check in” on each other.
“What we all need to understand is when we are struggling, not just men, but women also, we need to support them and be there for them.
Sailor and Symonds played rugby league and cricket against each other growing up in Queensland. “Roy’s death was tough to handle because we were close and he was such a loveable larrikin. He was my vintage, we played rugby league and cricket against each other growing up."
“There’s an oval close to where my sister lives and when I was 11, I was an opening bowler. There was this talk about this opening batsman named Andrew Symonds being a real gun, so I came off this long run up and bowled a short ball which went passed his head. He just glared at me and I said a few words down the wicket. Anyway, the next delivery was a good line and length and he’s just gone ‘bang’, and belted it out of the oval." “The boys had to go across the road and pick the ball up out of the gutter. They remind me of that a lot.”
Sailor played first-grade cricket in central Queensland at the age of 16. “There was Jimmy Maher, Martin Love and Roy, but he was next level mate. “I played for CQ and one of my teammates was (Manly coach) Anthony Siebold, an opening bowler who batted about eight or nine. He played as a back-rower in rugby league. Sailor recalled a story about when Symonds rocked up at Red Hill and did some training with the Broncos.
“He told Wayne (Bennett) he was contemplating switching from cricket to rugby league and playing for the Broncos. Wayne put his hand on Roy’s shoulder and said: ‘Roy, the best thing for you to do is stay in cricket’,” laughed Sailor.
Sailor was playing golf at Indooroopilly with Allan Langer in 1996 when he received a phone call from Arthur Beetson informing him he was on the Queensland side.
Which he did four times for four premierships in 1993-97-98 2000 or pulling on the Queensland jersey, which he did 14 times, for three series’ wins.
“I loved Origin, I love taking the hard hit ups through the middle third, left foot, right foot step, bump, bump, I was unstoppable,” he said. “Don’t forget I played against the toughest forward packs, Ian Roberts, and Paul Harragon and I am coming one off the ruck and smashing them. I’m getting pumped right now talking about it, there was nothing better than ripping into the Blues in Origin.”
Sailor took his game to new heights in 2000, was named Brisbane’s player of the year, the first winger to win the award, and also claimed the title of Brisbane’s back of the year. He also led all try-scorers in Australia’s 2020 World Cup tournament victory.
Wearing the Maroon jumper meant the world to Sailor which is why he was shattered when Queensland team doctor, Roy Saunders, ruled him out of Origin two and three in 2000 with a fractured eye socket.
“I rang Wayne Bennett and told him Roy wouldn’t let me play,” he said.
“I started crying in my car because I thought I let the boys down after we lost the first game.
“Every time I ran out for Queensland I was playing for Arthur Beetson, Gene Miles, Alfie and of course Wally Lewis who wore the jumper with enormous pride. Wally is the King. Eight Origin man-of-the-match awards, what a legacy. I hated NSW in Origin and I never wanted to let Queensland down.”
Sailor rates the 2000 grand final win over Sydney Roosters when Shane Webcke played with a broken arm, as the favourite of his four premiership wins.
“When we won the premiership in 1998 we all knew we were going to beat Canterbury,” he said. “The talk was the Roosters would move our big forwards around and be too strong."
“But can I tell you, Webcke playing with a broken arm, Brad Thorn, Gorden Tallis and Darren Lockyer, all played their hearts out. They had a great side with Brad Fittler, Adrian Lamb and Bryan Fletcher. Luke Phillips (Roosters fullback) came up with five try-saving tackles, one on me, one on Late, one on Brad Thorn and someone else. We won 14-6, we were never in doubt.”
Sailor recently quit his job with Radio Triple M to devote more time to his children and some other business projects. He has a passion for playing golf, which he will now have more time to enjoy.
“I just love the sledging,” he laughs. “It makes you think a lot, whether to hit driver or that 15-foot downhill curling putt."
“It’s also about the pressure and beating your mates.” Be warned though, don’t take Sailor on at golf, he already has two hole-in-ones.