In November, Love Rugby League reported that Sailor had discussed a 2024 NRL transition with Super League clubs. It was later confirmed that Leigh was the club in consideration.
There were rumors that a contract to sign the son of former Australian dual-code great Wendell to the Leopards for the upcoming season was almost finalized, but things took a sharp turn for the worse over the Christmas break.
Despite Leigh’s confidence that they had landed a deal, Love Rugby League has learned that Brisbane finally declined to approve Sailor’s release due to their own squad problems.
They had also started to consider their own quota position, as the Leopards would have to cut a contract-holding overseas player in order to complete the Sailor transaction.
“Sailor is an NRL player and not available to sign just like some of ours who the NRL want are SL players and aren’t available to sign,” Leigh owner Derek Beaumont reportedly said on social media. Contracts must be meaningful and reciprocally respected. Happy New Year’s Eve to Tristan in the NRL and to all of our players in Super League.
Leigh Leopards are not in a rush to find Tristan Sailor a successor right away when the move seems to go wrong.
Sailor has the potential to play in the spine for Adrian Lam’s team in 2024 despite his usefulness across the backline.
Leigh is lacking in the pivots after allowing Joe Mellor to depart and sign with Salford Red Devils, a Super League opponent; nevertheless, they have added Ben McNamara and Matt Moylan.
And Love Rugby League has been informed that Leigh is not in a rush to find Sailor a successor right away.
Even if there is still interest in at least one of their current abroad players, the move’s collapse also eliminates any pressing urgency to transfer them on.
Love Rugby League has been informed that Leigh will even keep an eye on Sailor’s circumstances virtually in the hopes that things will improve—though Brisbane’s 2024 intentions might eventually have an impact on that.
Even if a last-minute attempt to hire one of their main objectives fell through, Leigh is currently content with what they have and isn’t in a rush to hire anyone else.
