Wendell Sailor enjoyed a hugely successful career on the footy field, playing a leading role as the Brisbane Broncos won premierships in 1993, 1998 and 2000 – but he has struggled badly away from the game in the last two years.
During his career playing at the pinnacle of Aussie footy, the 50-year-old would make 222 appearances for the Broncos and the Dragons, returning a whopping 127 tries.
He’d also go on to represent Queensland in State of Origin before switching codes to to become a bona fide star with the Wallabies over the course of 37 Test matches.
After announcing his retirement in 2009, Sailor would go on to pursue a career in broadcasting and enjoyed success in his new career, taking up several panellist positions on television and working on Triple M’s Rush Hour show since 2015.
Wendell Sailor was a standout for the Broncos and the Dragons before switching to rugby union and becoming a cross-code star with the Wallabies
Sailor’s stint with Brisbane (pictured) saw him play a leading role in three premiership wins
On Wednesday night the 50-year-old was arrested by police at a bar in Sydney’s CBD after he allegedly assaulted two people and intimidated another person with intent to cause them fear or physical harm.
Sailor has since stated ‘nothing happened’, but the bar manager on duty that night has alleged the ex-NRL star’s behaviour left his staff ‘petrified’.
The manager at Pappy’s Bar claims Sailor ‘chest bumped’ him and threatened him repeatedly before police arrived to arrest the former NRL star.
He claimed the Maroons great repeatedly yelled: ‘Do you know who I am?’ before also stating ‘You’re f***ing done’ on more than one occasion.
Sailor is now due to face Downing Centre Local Court over the five charges on November 28.
It comes after he was also hit with an AVO in the days prior to the incident.
Sailor is due to appear in court over that matter on November 13, capping off a brutal two years for the cross-code star.
Sailor (pictured with former Broncos teammate Darren Smith in 1997) was one of the best footy players on the planet in his heyday
The 50-year-old went on to score 13 tries across 37 Test appearances for the Wallabies during his union career
The Queenslander was arrested by police at a bar in Sydney’s CBD and charged with an alleged assault
Sailor opens up on the torment of his son’s sexual charge
Earlier this year, Sailor revealed the damage done by his son Tristan’s rape trial.
The young NRL player had been charged by NSW Police in 2020 after a woman alleged she was so drunk that she had woken up naked with no memory as to what happened, following a night out in Sydney.
Tristan was accused of having sex with the woman while she was either unconscious or too intoxicated to consent, but was acquitted of the charges in March 2022.
The alleged incident came two weeks after he had been released by the Dragons, and his father had hit out at the club earlier this year.
‘Only his closest family understands what he went through a few years ago,’ Wendell said.
‘I have shed tears at times at the journey he has gone through.
‘I said, “Mate, don’t give up yet”. He was disillusioned here in Australia, but I knew he had unfinished business with the NRL.
Sailor this year opened up about the torment he suffered when his son Tristan (pictured together outside court) was put on trial for rape
He also hit out at the Dragons for their treatment of his son, branding it ‘disgusting’
‘He needed a haven. He needed to feel safe somewhere.’
Wendell also hit out at the Dragons for their treatment of his son, claiming that they had treated his son ‘poorly’.
‘The way Tristan got treated at the Dragons was disgusting,’ Sailor told News Corp.
‘To be honest, it wasn’t just Tristan who got treated poorly.
‘Other Dragons kids have been let go … the culture of the club hasn’t been good since Wayne (Bennett, former coach) left.’
Tristan would subsequently go on to play for the Broncos and signed a two-year deal to play for Super League side St Helens in August.
$100,000 legal battle
In June last year, Sailor was sued over allegedly unpaid legal fees from his son’s trial that amounted to more than $100,000.
The Madison Marcus law firm took action after successfully defending Tristan – and to make matters worse, Sailor’s son and wife Tara were also named in the legal action.
The case came at a particularly stressful time for Sailor, who was still recovering from the trauma of waiting to see if his son would be found guilty of an offence that can carry a sentence of up to 14 years in jail in NSW.
Madison Marcus’s case against the Sailors was discontinued in July, after they had it hanging over their heads for more than a year.
Sailor had also faced legal action after a law firm that represented his son sued him for allegedly unpaid legal fees amounting to around $100,000
Huge blow to star’s post-footy media career
Sailor had dipped his toes into the broadcasting world when he appeared as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars in 2006. He’d later go on to work as a panelist for several shows on Fox Sports.
In May, he dropped the bombshell news that he was set to leave his radio role at Triple M, a where he had been working for nearly 10 years.
‘I’m not calling any more football after this year,’ he said in May.
Revealing his reasons for the decision, he added: ”I have been calling the footy for a long time. I will do the Rush Hour show and then I will get back and do grassroots stuff.
‘I’m going to go and support my kids.’
It was a heart-to-heart conversation with former Broncos coach Wayne Bennet that helped him make the call.
‘I spoke to Wayne and he has been really good for me,’ he said.
‘He said, “Del, when you were at your best, what were you doing?” I said just being around people, doing the corporate stuff with you.
‘I’m going to get back to doing corporate stuff, playing golf and supporting Tristan and my daughter.
‘I am 50 next year and my son and daughter need me around, so next year I will have a break from calling footy.’
Later that July, he would go on to quit his role as a commentator on Triple M with immediate effect.
‘My primary focus now is dedicating more time to my children and pursuing grassroots interests,’ Sailor said in a statement on Friday.
In May, Sailor announced that he would be leaving his role on Triple M and admitted he wanted to spend more time with his family
Sailor (pictured with wife Tara)
‘I am deeply grateful for Southern Cross Austereo’s understanding and support of my decision. Balancing my career with family life is my priority, particularly as I celebrate my 50th birthday this week.
‘Triple M has been an integral part of my professional journey. I have forged lifelong friendships and cherished every moment commenting on NRL matches and hosting The Rush Hour.
‘I am thankful for the encouragement I have received and am eager for my next chapter, to concentrate on family, as well as interests such as golf and corporate opportunities.’
Triple M subsequently wished him well for the future.
‘Wendell has forged a wonderful media career since joining Triple M in 2015,’ the station said.
‘We will always consider Wendell a member of the Triple M family.’
It is not known if Sailor has since found a new job, but suddenly finding himself adrift from a workplace he’d been part of for a decade – all while his family faced a huge crisis – would be daunting for anyone.
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