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7 months ago
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Broncos great Wendell Sailor has revealed the torment behind his son Tristan's rape trial - before slamming the St George Illawarra Dragons for their 'disgusting' treatment of the fullback.
In 2020, the NRL young gun was charged by NSW Police after a woman alleged she was so drunk she woke up naked with no memory as to what happened following a night out in Sydney.
The footy star was accused of having sex with the woman while she was either unconscious or too intoxicated to consent.
Footy great Wendell Sailor has revealed the torment behind sexual-assault allegations his son Tristan was forced to endure (pictured together before a court appearance in 2020)
The alleged incident came just two weeks after Sailor was released by the Dragons, and his father - who also played for the club in the twilight of his career - felt they unfairly ushered his boy out the door.
'Only his closest family understands what he went through a few years ago,' Sailor told News Corp.
'I have shed tears at times at the journey he has gone through.
'I said, 'Mate, don't give up yet'. He was disillusioned here in Australia, but I knew he had unfinished business with the NRL.
'He needed a haven. He needed to feel safe somewhere.'
Wendell also accused the Dragons of coldly 'going in a different direction' not long after the youngster had broken into the NRL starting side.
Tristan Sailor (pictured) was acquitted two years later - but was in sporting limbo after the Dragons cut him in 2020 after declaring they were 'going in a different direction'
It was a bizarre move from Dragons management in the eyes of many footy fans, with Tristan Sailor (pictured with his father) impressing after making his NRL debut in 2019
'The way Tristan got treated at the Dragons was disgusting,' Sailor told News Corp.
'To be honest, it wasn't just Tristan who got treated poorly.
'Other Dragons kids have been let go ... the culture of the club hasn't been good since Wayne (Bennett, former coach) left.'
Two years later Sailor was acquitted of all charges, and his dual-international father has been impressed with how Reece Walsh's replacement at Red Hill quickly moved on with his life.
He signed with Broncos feeder club South Logan, and after he was standout in the Queensland Cup, Kevin Walters offered him a train and trial contract.
Now at the Broncos, Sailor is reportedly in the sights of other NRL clubs following a commanding display last start against the Cowboys as he replaced the injured Reece Walsh
Now he is reportedly in the sights of other NRL clubs following a commanding display last start against the Cowboys.
'Tristan got the Broncos deal on his own. It wasn't a case of a leg-up from a famous father,' Sailor - who was a teammate of Walters' at Brisbane in the late 1990s and 2000s - said.
'Tristan has done the hard yards and I've never seen him happier in life than he is right now at the Broncos.
'That's showing in his football...his football IQ is outstanding, it's better than anything I ever had.'
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