DELL still sells! More than seven years since his last league match and two years since he played any sport, Wendell Sailor last night demonstrated his remarkable pulling power when a crowd of about 3000 defied icy conditions to cheer his jubilant two-try comeback at Shellharbour's Ron Costello Oval.

Even the drug testers from ASADA were there, fuelling suggestions that Sailor had been targeted - or was at least being given a reminder that he cannot escape scrutiny - after the positive test for cocaine that ended his rugby union career midway through the 2006 season.

It was a far cry from his days as a star with the Wallabies or the Kangaroos, when he played at venues such as Wembley and Twickenham, but Sailor did not seem to mind.

"I enjoyed it," Sailor told reporters trying to interview him on the field as he was surrounded by vocal fans. "Being on the wing I love scoring tries, and I hadn't scored any for a long while.

"I feel good and just the support the crowd were giving me was great. At the moment I'm pretty happy. Everyone said I couldn't come back but I'm confident I can go well."

From the outset, when he ran out last behind his Shellharbour Marlins teammates, to rousing applause after his matchwinning try late in the second half, Sailor was heavily involved.

And the crowd, many of whom watched the game draped in blankets or from the warmth of their cars parked around the oval fence, were appreciative.

After juggling a cross-field kick to put the Marlins ahead 24-22 and then diving over from dummy-half just before full-time to secure a stunning comeback win against Jim Beam Cup rivals Erina, his name reverberated around the ground as the crowd chanted "Wendell, Wendell, Wendell".

With just a week of training under his belt since signing for St George Illawarra after his two-year drugs ban ended last Sunday, Sailor was understandably rusty. His involvement in the first half was limited mostly to dummy-half running or hit-ups off scrums.

But he managed two long runs down the right touchline, which were accompanied by the tooting of car horns as fans thought he was going to score.

"At 22-nil I was saying 'What's going on here?'," Sailor said. "I think I put a little bit more pressure on the club and the other side was fired up.

"They were sledging me, not badly, but at half-time I said to the boys, 'Let's get back at these guys'."

After initial predictions of a crowd of up to 8000 for the match, Marlins officials blamed rain and a freezing southerly for keeping the attendance down.

The turnout was still three times that of a normal home game.

At $7 for entry, the club's coffers received a handy boost that may help them make the step up to the second tier and become St George Illawarra's feeder team in the NSW Cup.

The media coverage was unprecedented for a Jim Beam Cup match.

Channels Seven and Nine had outside broadcast vans at the ground for live crosses to their evening news programs while Seven, Channel 10 and the ABC teamed up to provide a three-camera coverage of the match.

Moments after full-time, word filtered through to Dragons coach Nathan Brown at ANZ Stadium about Sailor's deeds.

"All I heard was they were behind and then Big Dell scored a couple to put them ahead and win the game." Brown said.

"I'm sure Dell will reliably inform us all on Monday at training, without a shadow of a doubt. He'll turn up with a video, cut his own tape, and show everyone."

Sailor had only one run with the Marlins before his comeback and on his way to Ron Costello Oval he phoned coach David Walsh to say he was lost.

When he arrived with son Tristan, the dual international admitted to some nerves but said he was relieved to be back playing again.

"I'm feeling good, a little bit nervous," Sailor said. "I'm just keen to get the football in my hands."