Wendell Sailor

Wendell Sailor played junior league for Sarina and schoolboy football for St Patrick's College, Mackay, on his way to a 12-month deal with the Brisbane Broncos in 1992.

He had trained with Illawarra Steelers in the off-season, but opted for the Broncos, which fielded a Colts side in the Sunshine Coast A Grade competition.

Sailor represented Queensland Under 19s from the Colts, as a fullback, playing a curtain raiser to an Australia v Great Britain Test in Brisbane. He made his first grade debut for the Broncos on June 18, 1993 against Gold Coast in Brisbane; played two more games in the regular season, and then featured in the finals, although he missed out on a spot in the grand final squad.

Sailor made such an impression, he was named Broncos' Rookie of the Year, and earned a new contract.

There was no stopping Sailor after that, with the then 19-year-old touring England and France with the Kangaroos in 1994, making his Test debut at Wembley. He had to wait another four years for his next 'official' Test cap, although he toured England with the Australian Super League side in 1997.

From 1998 until his switch to rugby union four years later, Sailor played 15 Tests, the highlight the World Cup final win over New Zealand at Old Trafford in 2000, when he scored two tries and was named man of the match, as well as Player of the Tournament.

Three years later he played for the Wallabies in the Rugby Union World Cup final in Sydney, a match won by England. He played 37 union Tests; 47 matches for the Reds and eight for the Waratahs.

Wendell could run into four forward and make yards. The forwards had great respect for him.

Brad Thorn FOG #94

In the State of Origin arena, Sailor played 14 matches for Queensland, but scored just the one try. In his debut series in 1996, he played wing in Game I, and then fullback in the other clashes.

His other 11 appearances for the Maroons were also on the wing, and he was Man of the Match in Game III of the 1999 series, playing a key role in Queensland's retention of the Origin Shield.

His first taste of premiership glory had come in the 26-8 win over Cronulla in the 1997 Super League grand final in Brisbane. He was also part of the Broncos' 1998 and 2000 premiership winning outfits. He was Broncos' Player of the Year in 2000.

Sailor played 219 games for the Broncos, scoring 110 tries. He finished his career at St George Illawarra, after four and a-half-year-years in union, and a two year ban from all sport, for testing positive to cocaine.

Sailor's rugby league swan song was the inaugural All Stars clash on the Gold Coast in 2010, when he played on the wing for the Indigenous side. He scored the opening try in the Indigenous side's 16-12 win over the NRL All Stars, ripping out the corner post, and playing it like a didgeridoo.

Sailor finished his career at St George Illawarra, after four and a half year years in union, and a two year ban from all sport, for testing positive to cocaine.

Sailor's rugby league swan song was the inaugural All Stars clash on the Gold Coast in 2010, when he played on the wing for the Indigenous side. He scored the opening try in the Indigenous side's 16-12 win over the NRL All Stars, ripping out the corner post, and playing it like a didgeridoo.