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By Brent Read
June 20, 2007 WENDELL Sailor is poised to put pen to paper for a return to the NRL, with St George-Illawarra rolling out the welcome mat for the wayward star.
On the day the Dragons secured its co-captains Jason Ryles and Ben Hornby for a further three years, it emerged Sailor would join the pair in the famous red V next season, after he has served out his two-year suspension for a positive drug test.
Several sources told The Australian Sailor had negotiated a deal which would allow him to resume his career in the NRL when his drug suspension ends next May.
It is understood Sailor, who is likely to play in the second row rather than the backline, has agreed to a contract heavily laced with incentives.
Dragons chief executive Peter Doust was unavailable for comment last night but the club has already approached the NRL with regards to signing Sailor, a premiership winner with Brisbane before he switched to rugby union at the end of 2002.
It is unclear whether Sailor's return will include any special conditions, as is the case with disgraced West Coast Eagles AFL star Ben Cousins.
However, NRL chief executive David Gallop said the league would not stand in the way of any club if it wanted to sign Sailor.
Gallop also said the NRL was unlikely to place any caveats on Sailor's return, as he would have served his penalty.
"If a club comes to us with a contract we would consider whether any special conditions needed to be imposed at the time but as a general proposition once he has served his suspension we would be agreeable to him playing again," Gallop said.
"He's done the crime and he's done the time."
News of Sailor's imminent return with St George-Illawarra came as the club continued to clean out its playing ranks.
Halfback Mathew Head, playing in premier league, is negotiating a deal which would take him to English club Hull for the remainder of the year.
The only stumbling block to Head leaving for England could be the terms of the contract. It is understood Hull wants Head for the remainder of this year with the option to extend if he makes a successful transition.
The Dragons would prefer Hull takes Head for next season as well, thus easing the strain on their salary cap as Head's deal in 2008 is believed to be worth about $300,000.
While Head could be on his way out, young forward Chris Houston will join teammates Danny Wicks and Wes Naiqama at Newcastle next season.
Another forward, Ashton Sims, is also on the move after being granted permission to leave at season's end while Richie Williams (Penrith) and Luke MacDougall (Newcastle) have already departed.
The Dragons did stem the flow yesterday with the signing of former Junior Kangaroo Michael Lett from Parramatta until the end of 2008.
But the sweeping player changes at the Dragons pale into insignificance with the acquisition of Sailor, who is negotiating the deal without his manager Greg Keenan, whom he has left.
At the age of 32 he would be considered a risk but his lack of recent football would be offset by his marketability.
Five years after switching codes and playing for the Wallabies, Sailor is still very much a household name among rugby league aficionados.
He was one of the game's leading players when he signed with the Australian Rugby Union, quickly becoming a member of the Wallabies.
South Sydney and the Sydney Roosters, along with St George-Illawarra, were initially linked with Sailor.
However, the Rabbitohs and Roosters ruled out making a play for the former Test winger, whose career stalled when he returned a positive test for cocaine following the New South Wales Waratahs game against the Brumbies on April 16, 2006.
That indiscretion cost Sailor a $500,000-a-year contract with the ARU and NSW Waratahs.
Sailor has spoken publicly since receiving his ban to warn of the dangers of illicit drug use, and he has continued to work on his fitness in the hope of landing a deal in the NRL.
There had been speculation he would seek a reduction in his ban in the hope of making his signature more desirable.
Under changes to WADA, expected to be introduced in November, Sailor could apply for an early return which would enable him to train and play from January 1.
Sailor dismissed that notion two months ago but there is little doubt he would be more appealing to the Dragons should he be given permission to return before May.
As it stands, Sailor is forbidden from training or playing with any sporting clubs.
Sailor, who will be 33 when he returns to the premiership, has also been a guest commentator for Channel Nine and has a regular stint on Sydney radio.
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