When the Brisbane Broncos Performance Director Kelvin Giles spotted a fresh-faced fullback with size and speed running amok at a prestigious schoolboy’s rugby league carnival back in 1992 his eyes lit up.
The colt with the Solomon Islands and West Indian heritage was 17-year-old Sarina native Wendell Sailor – making an impact for a formidable St Patrick’s College Mackay team.
Giles was clearly impressed with the powerfully built custodian who could burn the turf and bust tackles at will at the Nudgee College playing fields during the Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Rugby League Confraternity Carnival.
St Patrick’s would go on to clinch a fifth consecutive championship title with the dynamic Sailor nabbing two tries in a 30-0 drubbing of Emmaus College in the final.
The team was skippered by Donny Aprile and included talented centre Chris Cheung, Martin Sala, Michael Snell and key forwards Richard Hindle and the Jeffs twins Alfie and Roly.
The promising Sailor also shone in the 34-10 semifinal victory over St Augustine’s and was named Player of the Carnival with his prize: a week of training with the Brisbane Broncos.
Despite interest from the North Queensland Cowboys, the teen sensation was eventually signed by the Broncos where he joined the likes of fellow Mackay juniors Kevin Campion, Brett Dallas and Butch Fatnowna.
At the age of 18, one of Sailor’s early training tasks was to line up for a 400m race with the Broncos’ star backs Steve Renouf, Chris Johns, Mick Hancock, Willie Carne and Julian O’Neill.
Sailor won the race and was offered a one-year contract by super coach Wayne Bennett to play Under 21s and reserve grade.
The rest is history. Sailor would become a legendary Broncos winger and figure in four premiership sides and become a dual code international – representing the Kangaroos in 21 tests and make 37 appearances for the Wallabies.
He helped Australia trounce New Zealand 40-12 to win the 2000 Rugby League World Cup, where he finished the top try scorer (10) and Player of the Tournament.
Sailor also featured in the Wallabies’ heart-breaking 20-17 extra time loss to England in the 2003 Rugby World Cup decider at Sydney’s Stadium Australia.
Dual international Wendell Sailor (pictured third row third left) was named Player of the Carnival after helping St Patrick’s College Mackay clinch a fifth successive Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Rugby League Confraternity championship title back in 1992
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