Dragons want Dell
Monday, 11 September 2006 @ 1:30 PM
sportal.com.au
Suspended Wallabies winger Wendell Sailor hopes to have his suspension reduced in order to return to rugby league playing for St George-Illawarra.
The ARU slapped a two-year ban on Sailor after he tested positive for cocaine earlier this year.
Dragons coach Nathan Brown said he would like to see Sailor given a second chance, an opportunity the embattled winger would not turn down.
"If that opportunity come along and hopefully if my ban got cut, I would probably love nothing more than to run out there in a red and white jersey," Sailor told the Nine Network.
Sailor formerly played for the Brisbane Broncos in the NRL before switching codes, while he also represented Queensland and Australia.
Former Cowboy Mitchell Sargent was given a second chance by the Newcastle Knights, signing a three-year deal despite also failing a drugs test.
But Sargent's test was in-house, while Sailor's was part of a drug program, and therefore his two-year suspension was in line with the World Anti-Doping Authority code, a code Sailor believes needs to be changed.
"Anyone that's ever been in trouble for social drugs, they don't take it to enhance their performance, so something has got to be done about that (WADA drug) code," he said.
Sailor added that the shame he has been put through since the positive test is punishment enough.
"At stages through the last five months you think you're the worst person in world," Sailor said.
"Even though (I am) remorseful for it, the way (the media are) writing things I just thought I should have been in Silverwater prison."
"I would like people to think 'well he has certainly paid his price and looking to make himself a better person'."