RL: Winterstein thanks Sailor for lesson

AAP General News (Australia)
04-06-2009
RL: Winterstein thanks Sailor for lesson

By Wayne Heming

BRISBANE, April 6 AAP - Rather than complain about Dragons motor-mouth Wendell Sailor's
sledging, young Brisbane winger Antonio Winterstein aims to use hard-learned lessons from
his boyhood idol against Sydney Roosters on Friday.

Dual international Sailor showed 20-year-old Roosters cast-off Winterstein little mercy
when they went head to head during St George-Illawarra's 25-12 upset of the Broncos last
Friday night.

Like Broncos fullback Karmichael Hunt, Winterstein took despite illness.

And he was felling a lot sicker 80 minutes later after Sailor gave him a crash course
in how to play and how to sledge.

Sailor was Winterstein's hero as he grew up watching the Broncos.

And he appreciated the gesture when Sailor told him later to "keep my head up".

"He's still a guy I look up to," said the softly spoken Winterstein.

"He was one of my childhood heroes.

One of Winterstein's mistakes could have been paying Sailor too much respect.

"I learned a lot from him," he said.

"I learned I have to muscle up and be aggressive, he (Sailor) showed me a lot of that."

Winterstein, who was invited to train with Brisbane in the off-season, has impressed
coach Ivan Henjak so much he has started in all four games so far, did not want to criticise
Sailor.

"I had a shocker," he said on Monday.

"There was a bit of chatter, nothing personal really.

"But after I made a couple of mistakes he got into my ear a fair bit."

Brisbane captain Darren Lockyer commented after the game that even though he played
on the opposite of the field to Sailor he could "still hear him."

Of Samoan heritage, Winterstein is a product of Logan Brothers where his mum runs the
game day canteen.

He hails from Marsden State High which also unearthed Israel Folau.

The pair have become close friends at the Broncos with Test star Folau, a year younger,
passing on tips to his recent schoolmate.

Winterstein is hoping Henjak sticks with him on Friday so he can play against another
promising Brisbane youngster Rohan Ahern, under consideration to be named in the Roosters'
centres.

Ahern is a product of Norths St Josephs which developed former Queensland and Australian
players Greg Conescu and Joe Kilroy as well Wallaby destroyer Rocky Elsom.

The pair shared a flat when Winterstein played for the Roosters U-20 side last year.

AAP wh/nh

KEYWORD: LEAGUE BRONCOS WINTERSTEIN

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