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Melbourne skipper Cameron Smith has already put in his orders for Billy Slater next week: more of the same, please.

Slater almost single-handedly destroyed Manly in their NRL qualifying final at Etihad Stadium, scoring four tries in the 40-12 victory.

He opened the scoring in the fourth minute, and then had the final say, crossing for the side's sixth and his fourth in the 78th minute.

The Test custodian, however, preferred to point the spotlight on his teammates, saying such a feat was only possible because of their hard work.

It continued his love affair with Etihad where he has now scored hat-tricks or better in his last four games at the indoor venue.

"It was just good to put in a good performance but there's no way I could get over the line the way I did if guys like Ryan Tandy and Jeff Lima and Dane Nielsen don't play the way they did tonight.

"I think you'd find it very difficult to point out a bloke who didn't play well in our side and that's what it's always been about with the Melbourne Storm with everyone playing their role and pulling their weight and when they do it's a pretty good game to be a part of.

"I've just been trying to build on my form over the last couple of weeks and although I've been satisfied there's been a few parts in my game I've wanted to improve.

"But it's a team effort not an individual sport." Smith said it made his job as a forward far easier with players the calibre of Slater and fellow game-breaker centre Greg Inglis outside him.

"It's certainly nice to have those two in the back pocket.

"If it's not Bill scoring tries it's Greg and it's a huge positive to have two of those guys in our side," Smith said.

"A couple of Bill's tries tonight were created from nothing ... he just got the ball and danced around a bit and all of a sudden he was over the tryline.

"They're guys you just can't put a value on, particularly this time of the year when it's so hard to get across the tryline.

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For once, it wasn't all about Jarryd Hayne.

While the Dally M winner did provide the sparkle in Parramatta's amazing NRL qualifying final upset of minor premiers St George Illawarra, coach Daniel Anderson instead credited the Eels' impenetrable defence for the 25-12 win that kept their title dreams alive.

The eighth-placed Eels were pinned to their own goal line for much of the opening 20 minutes by a pumped up Dragons side who had everything go their way in the searing heat at a packed WIN Jubilee Oval.

But, unlike nine days earlier when they crumbled to a 37-0 defeat to the Dragons, this time the Eels defence diffused each charge.

Set after set the Dragons attacked until finally, after coming up empty-handed several times, five-eighth Soward elected to kick a penalty goal to get some points on the board.

Eels coach Daniel Anderson said that moment was a real fillip for his side.

"Obviously once you (hold them out) a few times you build confidence," Anderson said.

"You feel that yes, you can withstand what can be thrown at you for the rest of the game.

"These are the good days to be a coach. It was extremely satisfying as far as the reward for the players. I'm really happy for them. It was a pretty daunting hostile venue to come to and our defence was just brilliant."

Eels captain Nathan Cayless was impressed with the collective resilience shown by his team under immense early pressure.

"I think most of us were delirious, the amount of tackles that we had to make and just hang in there," Cayless said.

"I think it might have been a bit of a blessing for us that they did take the two (points), then we got a bit of a breather."

What happened next stunned everybody, as the Eels hit back with two tries in five minutes through Luke Burt and Daniel Mortimer and eventually led 12-8 at half-time.

Dragons coach Wayne Bennett was obviously disappointed with his side's loss.

"They outplayed us, we weren't too far off but they were very good," Bennett said.

"You don't necessarily need to score in those early periods with in the game, we were playing well, we were doing a lot of things right.

"We had a couple of opportunities but we just didn't grab them and they came down the field once, put a ball in the air, and there's six points."

The 50-point turnaround from last week's loss is made even more stunning by the fact Parramatta became just the second eighth-placed team under the McIntyre finals system to run down the minor premiers in as many years.

Fullback Burt booted a field goal in the dying minutes to put the game beyond a converted try (19-12) before Hayne sidestepped seven defenders to score superb individual try in front of 18,174 fans.

The victory puts Parramatta firmly into the premiership running, they will host notoriously poor travellers the Gold Coast in a sudden death semi-final at the Sydney Football Stadium on Friday.

The Dragons meanwhile face a familiar foe in Bennett's former club Brisbane next Saturday at Suncorp Stadium

Game highlights: http://bigpondvideo.com/nrl/207151

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Bulldogs coach Kevin Moore has welcomed the week off after watching his side move to within 80 minutes of a grand final berth with a less-than-convincing 26-12 qualifying final win over Newcastle.

The time off will also give injured halfback Brett Kimmorley more time to recover from his fractured cheekbone.

The Bulldogs pulled away late to move straight into week three of the NRL finals, when it is expected Kimmorley will be rushed straight back into a side which struggled without his leadership.

It wasn't until Hazem El Masri potted a penalty goal with 13 minutes remaining that the Bulldogs went beyond a converted try in front.

"There's been a fair amount of publicity surrounding we didn't have Noddy, but I never stopped believing that, with or without him, we could get the job done," Moore said.

"It's put ourselves in a tremendous position with a weekend off.

"(Kimmorley's) not certain but he saw the specialist on Friday and it was fairly positive report."

Rookie Newcastle coach Rick Stone was left regretting the decision to use injured pair Isaac De Gois and Zeb Taia, the move backfiring badly with De Gois limping off after re-injuring his knee in just the second tackle of the match.

"It's a gamble that we took and one that obviously didn't pay off," Stone said.

"That hurts early in the game. No doubt it had an effect."

The Bulldogs pounded the depleted Knights' line early in the game but no points were forthcoming, Kimmorley's absence telling as stand-in halfback Ben Roberts sent a pass that floated untouched over the sideline.

Newcastle weren't as wasteful with Junior Sau powering over on their first foray into the Bulldogs' red zone.

The home side continued to struggle for guidance with Greg Eastwood and then David Stagg - who started at five-eighth in place of the benched Daniel Holdsworth - forced into kicking duties, but they finally broke through when Josh Morris latched onto a Bryson Goodwin fling back inside.

The Bulldogs looked like they had broken the back of the visitors when Luke Patten scored twice in the space of six minutes before the break - the first coming off a powerful run and flick pass from newly crowned rookie of the year Jamal Idris.

The home side couldn't shake the dogged Knights, who got themselves back into the contest when Scott Dureau touched down after a clever Jarrod Mullen kick was toed through by Chris Houston.

Mullen's good work was undone when he knocked on from the kick-off, but it wasn't until Wes Naiqama stripped Michael Ennis to hand El Masri a gift two points, that the home side kicked away again before Ben Hannant crashed over late.

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Former Test half Trent Barrett believes the Melbourne Storm will not only compete in a fourth successive grand final… they might just win it.

Speaking in the wake of Melbourne’s demolition of reigning premiers Manly on Friday night, Barrett admitted the Storm look to have hit top gear at the right time.

“On the back of that, they can make the grand final and go on and win it," Barrett told BigPond Sports Weekend.

“They were as good as we’ve seen all year… I’ll be surprised if they don’t make the grand final."

A former favourite son of the famous red and whites, Barrett said the Storm's fire-power was superior to that of premiership favourites, St George Illawarra.

“The Dragons have been pretty clinical all year…. but they have a lot more strike than what the Dragons have got.

“The best thing with all of them is that they all know their job and they don’t go outside it. They leave it up to the big names to come up with the big plays… the rest of them just do their job and they do it pretty well.”

After playing under Craig Bellamy in this year's Origin series, Barrett heaped praise on the Storm coach, highlighting his ability to take his side to premiership glory in season 2009.

“He’s got the cattle there that can win him the comp.

“I think he knows when to put the pedal down with them … he is good at that.

“It’d be a fair rap to Craig Bellamy, he’s timed it to the minute… because they have been up and down all year.”

Bellamy’s Storm have timed their red hot form to perfection, catching Manly off guard by executing a perfect game plan in week one of the semi finals.

However, with such an emphatic victory, the question remains - have they shown their hand too early?

BigPond Video

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And then there were two: Sentimental favourites Parramatta, who needed to win seven straight from Round 19 to even guarantee even a place in the top eight; and Melbourne, the first side since Parramatta in 1981-84 to make four successive grand finals.

The Storm appear to be peaking at just the right time. They crafted a solid, consistent season through the 26 scheduled rounds, dipping no worse than eighth through Round 7, levelling out for a smooth ride in fourth place from Round 14 to Round 16.

They’ve disposed of 2008 premiers Manly and 2006 premiers Brisbane in successive outings (with a week’s breather in between) and have no injury concerns in their unchanged line-up.

Their strike weapons Billy Slater and Greg Inglis are in hot form, having bagged five of the Storm’s seven tries last week. And their defence remains the most effective in the league – their 337.6 tackles per game is the fewest of any side all year.

By comparison, Parramatta’s road has been paved with potholes… and gold. They looked goners when a lowly 14th through Round 18. But then they beat the Storm 18-16 in Round 19, and everything changed.

Jarryd Hayne turned in man-of-the-match performances seemingly every week, rookie Daniel Mortimer seized the headlines after shining at five-eighth in the absence of injured Feleti Mateo and the forwards, led by captain Nathan Cayless, Nathan Hindmarsh and the blockbusting Fuifui Moimoi, revealed that after some mushy early season displays, they in fact were made of stern stuff after all.

So dominant was Hayne that he pocketed the Dally M Player of the Year medal even before the points were allocated from Round 26 – that hasn’t happened for years.

But injury threatens Cayless’ premiership dream. The 233-game Eels stalwart is battling a hamstring tear picked up in the opening minutes of last week’s knock-out clash with the Bulldogs. Should he miss out it will be the second successive year a captain has missed a decider, with Melbourne’s Cameron Smith suspended last year. It will also place great pressure on the Eels prop rotation to lift, with Moimoi, Joe Galuvau and Tim Mannah burdened with more work.

On the coaching front Craig Bellamy is shooting for a second title since 2007; should the Storm lose he’ll be left with one trophy from four attempts.

Meanwhile Daniel Anderson has been to ANZ Stadium for the last game of the year once before with the Warriors in 2002. That day his side lost 30-8 to the Roosters. But he’s won a bunch of silverware with St Helens in the UK, so he knows all about the big games.

So, what can we expect?

Watch out Storm: Melbourne need to find a way to ram a cork on Parramatta’s vintage play. No side promotes second-phase action better than the Eels. Their 17.5 season average offloads rank them the clear leader in the NRL. And they really put the writing on the wall last week against the Bulldogs with a staggering 41 offloads.

It’s not just one or two players who are prolific. They all do it – leading the way is Feleti Mateo (3.1 a game), supported by Krisnan Inu (2.4), Hindmarsh (2.1), Cayless (1.6), Grothe (1.5) and Hayne (1.3)… it goes on.

While the Storm’s defence is the best in the business (88.3 per cent effective), that statistic will be rendered meaningless if they are unable to stop the Eels’ attackers from promoting play. The Bulldogs swamped the Eels in numbers last week but couldn’t stop the offloads – largely because they didn’t have defenders sweeping behind the player in possession looking to ‘seagull’ any ‘chips’ thrown out the back. The Storm should learn that lesson and be better prepared on Sunday.

Another potential area of concern for Craig Bellamy is some lethargy on the Storm kick-chase during the year. Their 13 ‘poor’ chases are the fifth most by sides in 2009. And waiting down the other end this week is Jarryd Hayne. (Meanwhile the Eels have registered just the one poor chase in 2009, so Slater won’t be handed much of a head start.)

Watch out Eels: Obviously offloads can be a risk and can lead to errors, which can lead to turnovers. If the Eels make more than their average nine errors, the Storm will make them pay. Just last week they scored three tries the set following a Brisbane error.

Also, expect Greg Inglis to reintroduce his towering torpedo punt bomb from long range, looking to get it to bobble in the stiff breezes that swirl at upper grandstand height at ANZ Stadium. It could be a particularly effective ploy, given the Eels defuse a lowly 66 per cent of bombs – and their vanquished opponents haven’t really tested them out in this regard over the past month.

Craig Bellamy knows the key to winning is to stop Jarryd Hayne: period. The Eels’ sole loss since Round 18 came when the Dragons hammered them 37-0 in Round 26. Hayne didn’t make a line break that day, for the first time since Round 14! That’s how you beat the Eels…

Where it will be won: While most are billing this as a battle between the fullbacks Slater and Hayne, it’s unlikely they’ll go head to head other than when one is attempting a try-saving tackle on the other.
That said, like all Grand Finals in the modern era, this game will be won by limiting the impact and territorial gain of both sides’ stars. Keep the usual suspects quiet and the job is half-done.

The Eels will rely on Hayne (170 metres a game, 32 line breaks, 178 tackle breaks) plus Grothe (122 metres), Moimoi (120 metres in 42-minute average), Cayless (105 metres), Inu (103 metres, 47 offloads) and Hindmarsh (102 metres, plus team-high 51 offloads and 44 tackles).

The Storm will counter with Slater (123 metres, 22 line breaks including Finals Series-high 5), Inglis (122 metres), Steve Turner (110 metres), Jeff Lima (109 metres), Dane Nielsen (107 metres) and Ryan Hoffman (105 metres).

Both sides have massive stars in massive form. It just boils down to execution on the day – and who will conjure the moment(s) of magic that count.

Expect Cameron Smith to play a blinder, making up for lost time having been rubbed out of last year’s decider by the judiciary.

The history: Played 21, Storm 12, Eels 9. The sides have shared the spoils four games apiece over the past eight clashes. The Eels hold bragging rights, winning 18-16 in Round 19. This will be the first time they’ve met at ANZ Stadium.

Conclusion: The Eels have been a stumbling block for the Storm in recent years. Their last four games, with each side winning twice, have had an average winning margin of just three points. In their past eight games (four apiece) the winners have posted an average 22 points, the losers 14.5 for an average winning margin of 7.5 points.

On face value that suggests there won’t be a blowout on Sunday.

We’re full of admiration for the Eels, who keep turning up to play every week. We’ve been waiting for them to hit the wall with fatigue – they’ve been ‘up’ for a hell of a long time now – but they keep defying that. Still, the question has to be asked whether the enormity of last week’s Preliminary Final – a rousing, bruising encounter in front of a Grand Final-like crowd of 74,000 – could render this week a bridge too far for them.

That’s not to say the Eels can’t win. If they play like they did last week, they will, for no side can run with them when they apply themselves with such steely focus. But logic says the Storm will be the 2009 premiers, confirming themselves as the dominant NRL outfit of the decade.

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Sequels rarely outdo the original but Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy declared his side's 23-16 grand final win over Parramatta his sweetest triumph as the Storm joined the pantheon of great teams with their second NRL premiership in three years.

Looking to put an exclamation point on four straight grand final appearances that had yielded one victory to date, the Storm withstood a furious Eels fightback to confirm their standing alongside the Parramatta sides of the early 1980s and Brisbane sides of the 1990s.

Bellamy said the win didn't prove anything in his eyes, rather it was just icing on the cake of what was already an extraordinary effort.

"To make these four grand finals was a huge effort that - (greatness) is for other people to judge," Bellamy said.

"I just know tonight I could not have been more proud of what this club has done the last four years.

"They produce when it counts - whether we won tonight or not - I couldn't be prouder of them.

"As far as a coach goes this is probably the best feeling I've had as a coach to be honest. To me it is (the sweetest).

"Back in 2007 we went through as minor premiers easily and we had a wonderful side that year. This is a wonderful side too but there's a lot of unknowns.

"It's nice to prove people wrong when they're not saying nice things about you or they're not giving you any chance."

A controversial decision by referee Tony Archer to penalise Eels prop Fuifui Moimoi in the 76th minute for holding down Billy Slater in a tackle when the Storm fullback spilled the ball proved a killer when Parramatta was on a roll after two quick tries.

But Parramatta coach Daniel Anderson admitted his side had given Melbourne too much of a start as the Storm surged to 22-6 after 58 minutes.

"We had a go but we were punished for our mistakes. They didn't make that many breaks but when they did make them they scored," said Anderson.

"They are a great side. They do that."

Slater was named Clive Churchill Medal winner as he outpointed Parramatta rival Jarryd Hayne, but in truth the award could have gone to any number of players.

There were plenty of heroes for the Eels as well - with Nathan Hindmarsh coming up with a remarkable 63 tackles and Moimoi showing no regard for self preservation with bell-ringing tackles and charges including a stunning 20 metre burst through several defenders to score the try that saw the Eels close within six points with eight minutes remaining.

Much like their remarkable run to the grand final, the Eels left it late to start their charge, but there was no fairytale ending to this Cinderella story as Greg Inglis capped a wonderful game with a field goal shortly after the Moimoi penalty to ice the win for the Storm.

The vast majority of the 82,538 crowd - the biggest since 2001 when the Eels last made it to a grand final - had been willing the Eels on in their comeback, with Storm captain Cameron Smith admitting to more than a few nerves.

"I was going to call for the trainer to get a change of speedos," Smith said.

Having snowballed their way into the grand final on the back of 10 wins from their last 11 matches, the Eels initially went to water on the biggest stage with the Storm scoring after just five minutes through Ryan Hoffman, who blasted past halfback Jeff Robson in defence.

Having been brilliant against the Bulldogs last week, Robson was a target in defence, and it seemed to affect his attacking game with the Eels let down by poor last play options.

The Storm were showing the benefit of their grand final experience and it was no surprise when Cooper Cronk found a gap and put Adam Blair over for a 10-0 lead which they took to the halftime break.

The Eels came out strongly after the break with Moimoi leading the way with some punishing defence - and it carried through to their attack with Eric Grothe slamming it down for a 10-6 scoreline.

Melbourne weren't about to give this away however and they hit back with a double blow through their two superstars, Greg Inglis and Billy Slater scoring thanks to some sensational lead-up work by Cooper Cronk.

Eels centre Joel Reddy pulled down a bomb to score and get the Eels comeback underway in the 70th minute before Moimoi crossed two minutes later.

But the Storm were not going to let this match slip after being pasted 40-0 by Manly in last year's decider, running out to take this years grand final 23 to 16 courtesy of a Greg Inglis field goal in the 76th minute...

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Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy says halfback Cooper Cronk would be the ideal utility to take on Australia's Four Nations tour whilst also pushing the claims of forwards Brett White, Ryan Hoffman and Dallas Johnson.

Cronk, Hoffman and Johnson all earned Test debuts the last time Melbourne won the NRL premiership as the club set a record with seven players in the 2007 Kangaroos side.

Melbourne are assured of at least three tourists with incumbents Billy Slater, Greg Inglis and Cameron Smith, but NRL premiers are typically well represented in Australian squads.

Cronk and Johnson haven't been in green and gold since 2007, while Hoffman was dumped after playing in the Centenary Test in 2008.

But Bellamy believes the trio warrant recalls and White a debut after his barnstorming finish to the season and strong grand final performance against Eels star Fuifui Moimoi.

White has the strongest chance as incumbent Steve Price is unavailable with injury, while Petero Civoniceva (toe) and Brent Kite are also unlikely tourists.

"I would like to think Whitey deserves a lot of thought," said Bellamy.

"Hoffy as well. I don't know whether they'd take Dallas or not but if anyone deserves to go it's him ... it's amazing what he does for a guy his size."

But Bellamy reserved his biggest praise for Cronk, the halfback unlucky not to claim the Clive Churchill Medal after his match-winning efforts against the Eels.

"I think he would be an ideal guy to go on tour with," said Bellamy.

"Cooper used to play five-eighth and hooker. He could probably stand up in the back row for 10 minutes if he has too."

The difficulty facing Cronk is that Test incumbent Johnathan Thurston and Gold Coast's Scott Prince stand in his representative path for both the Kangaroos and Queensland.

But Bellamy said it's about time Cronk got his rewards for leading Melbourne to four grand finals in a row and two premierships in three years.

Thurston's North Queensland Cowboys have failed to make the NRL finals for the past two seasons.

"He has been knocking on the door. He played for Australia two years ago and he did a great job and they won by a record score," said Bellamy.

"Cooper will just keep knocking on the door and at some stage I'm sure the door will open for him."

Cronk was hopeful but accepted where he stood in the line of halfbacks.

"I'm very much a realist, there's some very good footballers in this competition and there's only room for a couple (on tour)," said Cronk.

"I've had a little bit of a taste for it and definitely the desire is there to have a taste of it again.

"I will not throw up the white flag ... hopefully one day the phone call comes."

Meanwhile White said it would be a dream to cap his season with a Test debut, after reclaiming his Blues jersey for NSW's Origin III win earlier in the year.

"That would be ideal. I will just wait and see what happens. All I can do is sit and wait and hope," he said.

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Plans for Melbourne's NRL title defence will start on Tuesday with coach Craig Bellamy's confidence boosted by the fact the Storm will have the lowest turnover of players since the purple reign began four years ago.

Bellamy will lose only two of his 2009 premiership winning players - Steve Turner (Bulldogs) and Will Chambers (rugby union) - and possibly assistant coach Michael Maguire to Wigan.

But unlike the three previous seasons, Bellamy has significant replacements ready to step into the team with NSW winger Anthony Quinn and Kiwi internationals Sika Manu and Chase Stanley available next season.

Quinn (neck) and Manu (leg) missed the premiership win with season-ending injuries, while 20-year-old utility Stanley is set to join Melbourne from minor premiers St George Illawarra.

In 2006 and 2007 Bellamy lost three players from his grand final sides, while last year he was decimated by the loss of six stars.

Bellamy said the relatively small turnover in 2009 was a good sign for continued success in 2010.

"We will be a bit more settled side next year," said Bellamy on Monday.

"Obviously Steve Turner is a huge loss and Will Chambers going to rugby union.

"We lose a couple of other guys too but I think they're the only two we're losing from the grand final team last night.

"I wouldn't say we have to work harder, we have to work a bit smarter at times.

"I'm learning as a I go as well and hopefully I can work a bit smarter next year as well.

"Hopefully we can kick off the season on a good note next year."

Melbourne's 23-16 grand final win over Parramatta silenced the critics who'd suggested the Storm's dynasty would come to an end on the back of their high turnover of representative players.

But prop Brett White said the death-riding had only increased the motivation for the players to win their second premiership in three seasons.

"It was the end of the dynasty two years ago wasn't it?" said White on Monday.

"Everyone wrote it, you wrote it again last year and we're still going along.

"Being in Melbourne it is everyone versus us and we use that to help us.

"It has worked for us the last couple of years and we will use it again.

"We will still work hard in the offseason and we'll keep working hard for each other and wait and see what happens next year."

Halfback Cooper Cronk said he was confident the Storm would remain a force next year.

The players gathered for a private meeting on ANZ Stadium hours after their grand final win and spoke about savouring the winning feeling as inspiration for working hard again in 2010.

"(We were) thinking about the possibilities that can arise if you're willing to do the hard work and have the right attitude under the system," said Cronk.

"It doesn't matter if you've won 10 straight or won a couple, it is how much you desire and are willing to be successful.

"It's not rocking up day one preseason and saying I'm looking forward to winning the comp this season, it's about doing the little things in between that.

"I'm confident in the capabilities of my teammates and everything we have got in place here."

Meanwhile Bellamy said the club would be hunting a return to the minor premiership race in 2010 after their streak of three straight JJ Giltinan Shields was broken when they finished fourth to St George Illawarra this season.

"We will start next year and if we're a chance to win the minor premiership we will be going flat out for it," said Bellamy.

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Dragons winger and dual international Wendell Sailor has today announced his retirement from the game of rugby league and professional sport after 11 seasons in top flight rugby league and five in rugby union.

After 222 matches in the NRL, Sailor, alongside his first and last coach in Wayne Bennett and Dragons CEO Peter Doust said the time was right to pull the curtain on his remarkable and eventful career.

“It is somewhat ironic sitting here today next to Wayne Bennett announcing my retirement, when I first went to Brisbane as a skinny 17 year old kid he told me I couldn’t play … well as we all know I went on to become a dual International and he even followed me here to the Dragons,” said Sailor.

“Even though this is a major decision in anyone’s life, it is not one that I had to think too much about. I came back to rugby league and achieved what I wanted and needed to, with a fantastic club in the Dragons, added Sailor.

“I have had my time and now I am ready to step aside and let the great young players here have their turn. My family and I are ready for this next phase in our lives and I look forward to still being a part of the Dragons for many years to come.”

Sailor, one of the games great entertainers, said he was extremely grateful for the overwhelming support shown to him by everyone involved in rugby league throughout his 16 year career.

“There are many people who have supported me throughout my entire career in rugby league and to them I am very grateful,” said Sailor. “I would especially like to thank the people who were instrumental in getting my career back on track here at the Dragons; Nathan Brown, Peter Doust and the senior players back in 2007.

“I will be forever grateful to these blokes; they believed in me, they gave me the chance to redeem myself, added Sailor. They gave me the opportunity to continue to do what I love, to continue to play footy and to contribute positively with enthusiasm, hard work, energy and a few laughs along the way”.

The popular and charismatic Sailor was born in Sarina, Queensland and began his career with the Brisbane Broncos as a 19 year-old in 1993, winning four premierships in his seven years and 189 games at the club. Sailor also gained representative honours with Queensland (17 games) and Australia (19 games), and was named ‘Player of the Tournament’ at the 2000 Rugby League World Cup.

In 2001 Sailor signed with the Australian Rugby Union, starting a trend of high-profile rugby league converts to the 15-a-side game. Sailor made his rugby union debut in 2001 for the Queensland Reds and gained his first representative honour in 2002 when he was chosen to represent Australia, going on to play 37 Tests. In 2005 Sailor left the Reds to play with the New South Wales Waratahs.

In May of 2006 Sailor was banned from competitive sport in Australia for two years for testing positive to recreational drugs and experienced the most challenging time of his life.

Sailor spent much of his “sabbatical” within the community, helping others and since returning to professional sport, he has continued to work within the community, proving that you can get a second chance in life.

“Having my sport taken away from me was definitely the lowest time of my life,” said Sailor. “I let a lot of people down with that stupid mistake and I just knew I had to make things right.

“I had the unwavering support of my family and friends, especially my wife Tara and children Tristan and Matisse throughout this tough time and we all knew that I wasn’t finished and that returning to rugby league was the right thing to do,” added Sailor.

In 2008 Sailor joined the St George Illawarra Dragons and began his “road to redemption”, playing 33 matches and scoring 17 of his 127 career tries over the past two seasons with the traditional Sydney-based club.

Sailor proved to be a crowd favourite at the Dragons, with his on-field form and entertaining antics endearing Sailor to the red and white faithful, while his work outside of football and in the community officially recognised this season when Sailor was nominated for the games highest community honour, the Ken Stephens Medal.

“It is fair to say that Wendell’s return to rugby league in 2008 after his very public mistake and suspension whilst playing rugby union was met with widespread scepticism,” said Dragons CEO Peter Doust. “Yet largely through his brutal honesty and endeavours in the community, Wendell has successfully re-built his brand and image to become one of the most popular and influential characters in Australian sport.

“Wendell is a unique person, the energy and enthusiasm he has brought to the Dragons both on and off the field has been nothing short of remarkable,” added Doust. “I am sure that all Dragons fans will be very pleased to know that Wendell will remain a part of our Club and the game, he will have an ambassadorial role with the Dragons, working within Red V Membership, Partnerships, Dragons Community and Dragons TV”.

The NRL have also offered Wendell a role within their “One Community” program and have acknowledged that should the public vote continue as it has and he can maintain his selection in the Indigenous team for the match against the All Stars at Skilled Park on the Gold Coast on February 13.

“Wendell has finished his career in a way that has inspired the community,” said NRL CEO David Gallop. “He’s shown that people cannot only overcome their mistakes but they can be better for the experience. In doing so he’s brought joy and excitement to thousands of fans and provided guidance to young players.

We are keen to see him play an important role in our one community programme and a role in promoting rugby league,” added Gallop.

Wayne Bennett has been as close as anyone to Sailor throughout his time in professional sport, admiring him both as an athlete and a person.

“I have had a lot of wonderful milestones in my coaching career, but to have coached Wendell in his first game in 1993 and his last game in 2009 with all of the things that have happened along the way and in between has been very special,” said Bennett.

“No other player has challenged me as much as Wendell because of this personality, but I have loved the challenge and like everyone else, enjoy being in his company.

“It has afforded me the opportunity to have a wonderful insight into the life of a pretty extraordinary person. He talked it up when he was 17 when I first met him and he has continued to talk up a cyclone ever since. That is the Wendell package; you can’t have one without the other.

“For all the talk and antics, Wendell is an absolute professional. Never once when he was training or playing did I ever have to chastise him about his effort, he was a great role model for others and a great team person.

“To his credit, through his efforts, remorse and cander he won back the respect of the nation and his personality both on and off the field has been just the tonic that the game of rugby league needed.

“I know as a coach Wendell has made the right decision, he feels good and comfortable with his decision and he will leave the game as all champions should, on top,” said Bennett. “We will miss him, the game will miss him but the good news is he won’t be lost to the Club or the game.

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HE helped guide New Zealand to the biggest upset in World Cup history and now Wayne Bennett is believed to be at the top of England's wish list as it looks to replace Tony Smith.

While the Rugby Football League is yet to speak publicly of potential coaching candidates, English newspapers have begun a campaign to have Bennett installed as a consultant in the lead-up to next year's Four Nations tournament.

Bennett's NRL commitments with St George Illawarra would preclude him taking the job on a full-time basis but the RFL could use Bennett in an advisory role -- replicating the successful model used by New Zealand last year.

The Kiwis, with Stephen Kearney working alongside Bennett at last year's World Cup, stunned Australia in the final at Suncorp Stadium. The England job shapes as an even bigger challenge for the six-time premiership winner given it's been 37 years since England or Great Britain won a series involving Australia.

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"I think they would benefit," former Brisbane and Australian centre Steve Renouf said.

"I played under a few other coaches in representative sides and there's just something he can bring, especially to big game situations.

"He obviously did that with New Zealand in the World Cup last year. Is it coincidental he wasn't with them this year and they got dusted?"

While English rugby league has been in the doldrums for the best part of three decades, several young players emerged during the recently completed Four Nations. The most promising was South Sydney-bound forward Sam Burgess, although halves Sam Tomkins and Kyle Eastmond also impressed during the month-long tournament.

English officials and fans were also buoyed by the way their side stayed with the Kangaroos for 60 minutes.

"What a great time for someone like him to get hold of them," Renouf said. "There's some good young backs there, some young forwards that would benefit from a coach like Wayne.

"They won't get in that old rut that they have been in in the past. When I was at Wigan before the 2000 World Cup . . . there was a lot of internationals that were set to play.

"They were beaten before that event -- just the talk and mentality, they had themselves beaten before they got there. Wayne wouldn't let that happen.

"You look at the way England came out the other night -- they came out all guns blazing. They had the Aussies until 20 minutes to go. A coach like him (Bennett) probably would have got them across the line.

"That's how important he is with a team. He did it with New Zealand. I reckon he could have done it the other night with England.

"(New Zealand) came to that final prepared to go the whole 80 minutes. They persisted with the way they were playing and that all came from Wayne to be honest."

Renouf said Bennett would do what he believed was in the best interests of international rugby league.

"He wants international rugby league to be strong," Renouf said.

"I thought the way it panned out for footy in that tournament -- it was great that Great Britain got through.

"That result when they beat the Kiwis was probably the best thing that could have happened for international rugby league.

"I think England would benefit from it (Bennett)."