A look into the two most difficult years of Wendell Sailor’s life, as the big player faces charges for allegedly assaulting two people in a trendy pub

Wendell Sailor enjoyed a hugely successful career on the football field, playing a leading role as the Brisbane Broncos won the premiership in 1993, 1998 and 2000, but he has struggled out of contention in the last two years.

During his playing career at the pinnacle of Aussie footy, the 50-year-old made 222 appearances for the Broncos and Dragons, netting an impressive 127 tries.

He would also represent Queensland in his home state before transitioning to a bona fide star with the Wallabies over the course of 37 Test matches.

After announcing his retirement in 2009, Sailor would pursue a career in broadcasting and enjoyed success in his new career, holding 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 spell with Brisbane (pictured) saw him play a leading role in three premiership wins

On Wednesday evening, the 50-year-old was arrested by police at a bar in Sydney’s CBD after allegedly assaulting two people and intimidating another person with intent to cause them fear or bodily harm.

Sailor has since stated that ‘nothing happened’, but the bar manager who was on duty that night claims the ex-NRL star’s behavior left his staff ‘petrified’.

The manager of Pappy’s Bar claims Sailor ‘bumped’ him and repeatedly threatened him before police arrived to arrest the former NRL star.

He claimed that the Maroons repeatedly shouted, “Do you know who I am?” before also saying “You’re done” more than once.

Sailor is now due to appear at Downing Center District Court on November 28 on the five charges.

It comes after he was also hit with an AVO in the days leading up to the incident.

Sailor is due in court on the 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 in the world in his heyday

The 50-year-old went on to score 13 tries in 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 alleged assault

Sailor talks about the torment of his son’s sexual charge

Earlier this year, Sailor revealed the damage caused by his son Tristan’s rape trial.

The young NRL player was charged by NSW Police in 2020 after a woman claimed she was so drunk she woke up naked with no memory of what happened, after a night out in Sydney.

Tristan was accused of having sex with the woman while she was unconscious or too drunk to consent, but was acquitted of the charges in March 2022.

The alleged incident happened two weeks after he was released by the Dragons, and his father had had a hit at the club earlier this year.

“Only his immediate family understands what he went through a few years ago,” Wendell said.

‘I have shed tears every now and then about the journey he has been on.

‘I said, ‘Mate, don’t give up yet.’ He was disillusioned here in Australia, but I knew he had unfinished business with the NRL.

This year, Sailor opened up about the torment he endured when his son Tristan (pictured together outside court) was on trial for rape

He also attacked the Dragons for their treatment of his son, calling it “disgusting.”

‘He needed a refuge. He had to feel safe somewhere.’

Wendell also took out the Dragons over their treatment of his son, claiming they treated his son “poorly.”

“The way Tristan was treated at the Dragons was disgusting,” Sailor told News Corp.

“To be honest, it wasn’t just Tristan who was treated badly.

‘Other Dragons kids have been let go… the culture of the club hasn’t been good since Wayne (Bennett, former coach) left.’

Tristan would go on to play for the Broncos, signing a two-year contract to play for Super League side St Helens in August.

$100,000 legal battle

In June of last year, Sailor was sued for allegedly unpaid legal fees in the lawsuit against his son, which amounted to more than $100,000.

The law firm of Madison Marcus 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 offense that carries a prison sentence of up to 14 years in NSW.

Madison Marcus’ case against the Sailors was dropped in July after letting it hang over their heads for over a year.

Sailor also faced legal action after a law firm representing his son sued him for allegedly unpaid legal fees worth approximately $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 would later go on to work as a panelist for various shows on Fox Sports.

In May he broke the news that he was about to leave his radio role at Triple M, where he had worked for almost a decade.

“I won’t mention football after this year,” he said in May.

Revealing his reasons for the decision, he added: “I’ve been calling the footy for a long time. I’ll do the Rush Hour show and then I’ll come back and do grassroots stuff.

“I’m going to support my children.”

It was a personal conversation with former Broncos coach Wayne Bennet that helped him make the decision.

“I’ve talked to Wayne and he’s been really good to me,” he said.

“He said, ‘Del, what did you do when you were at your best?’ I said I was just hanging out with people and doing the business stuff with you.

‘I’m going to do business things again, play golf and support Tristan and my daughter.

“I’ll be 50 next year and my son and daughter need me, so next year I’ll have a break from calling footy.”

Later that July, he would step down from his role as commentator for Triple M with immediate effect.

“My primary focus now is spending more time with my children and pursuing grassroots interests,” Sailor said in a statement Friday.

In May, Sailor announced he was leaving his role on Triple M and admitted he wanted to spend more time with his family

Sailor (pictured with wife Tara)

“I am very grateful for Southern Cross Austereo’s understanding and support of my decision. Balancing my career and my family life is my priority, especially as I celebrate my 50th birthday this week.

‘Triple M has been an integral part of my professional journey. I forged lifelong friendships and cherished every moment commentating on NRL matches and presenting The Rush Hour.

“I am grateful for the encouragement I have received and look forward to my next chapter, where I can focus on my family, as well as interests such as golf and business opportunities.”

Triple M then wished him the best for the future.

“Wendell has built a stellar media career since joining Triple M in 2015,” the broadcaster said.

“We will always consider Wendell a member of the Triple M family.”

It’s unknown if Sailor has since found a new job, but suddenly finding himself adrift from a workplace he’d been a part of for a decade – while his family faced a massive crisis – would be disheartening for anyone.