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Iain Payten From: The Daily Telegraph January 22, 2011 12:00AM
HE STILL calls himself "the Dual" - as in dual international - but now Wendell Sailor could be the man to break new ground in the TV world by commentating on both rugby league and rugby union for Channel 9.
Nine takes over the rights to broadcast rugby this year and will show the Wallabies' Tests in the Tri-Nations and then the Rugby World Cup in September and October.
Nine will also put Super rugby back on free-to-air for the first time in a decade in a weekly highlights show. It's understood Nine will take the match commentary of FoxSports but are looking for fresh talent to front the hosting duties.
Sailor is a name that has been thrown up.
An entertaining figure already on the books of Nine and FoxSports, Sailor's five years in rugby make him a credible option and someone who'd also attract non-rugby fans.
Asked if he'd be interested in becoming the Dual International Commentator, Sailor said he'd keep an open mind.
"No one has spoken to me or anything ... I enjoyed my time with the Wallabies and I am still mates with a lot of those boys. If it was just offering a few opinions here and there, no problems," Sailor said.
"But league has been wonderful to me and I am enjoying working for Nine and Fox and doing grassroots work in league. I'd be really reluctant to jeopardise that work in any way so I guess we'd just wait and see."
Things didn't end well with rugby and Sailor (two-year drug ban) but the ARU - consulting with Nine - would be smart to make peace with Sailor and push for his involvement.
The Dell sells and rugby needs all the help it can get in free-to-air ratings after several years of atrophy on Seven. Other presenters will be Nine men: former Wallaby captain Andrew Slack and one-time NSW forward Tim Sheridan.
Brendan Cannon is also in Nine's sights despite being on FoxSports, while intelligent hooker Adam Freier is also being talked about. Veteran caller Gordon Bray? Highly unlikely.
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STILL on big Wendell - or Serena, as his kids call him at this time of year - the man has forgone his yearly trip to the tennis to get stuck into raising money for victims of the Queensland floods.
Dell will play in the Origin Legends game at Parramatta Stadium next week being organised by Mark Geyer, along with big names like Fittler, Tallis, Stuart and even Mal Meninga. It's big Mal's first Legends game since Sparkles McGaw went Hammer-time on his melon in 2001 at Leichhardt Oval, and more than 10,000 tickets have already been sold.
Sailor, Chris Walker and Hayden Knowles are also smashing Twitter to organise a star-studded charity event at the States Sports Centre on February 5.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/spo...-1225992509249