Jack de Belin knocked back Warriors deal before re-signing with Dragons
He has officially re-signed with the Dragons but Jack de Belin knocked back an even more lucrative contract from an NRL rival in 2020.
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The lucrative and secret details of Jack de Belin’s potential new contract with St George Illawarra can finally be revealed.
De Belin and Sinclair were found not guilty on one charge on Monday but the jury were unable to reach a unanimous verdict on the other five charges.
But De Belin has to wait until May 28 to learn if he will face a third trial on sexual assault charges or be free to take-up a four-year deal with the Dragons worth about $3 million.
The NRL on Tuesday morning confirmed De Belin “will remain subject to the No-Fault Stand Down while serious criminal charges remain against him”.
De Belin and the Dragons agreed on the new contract last September but said only the details “were confidential while the matter remains in court”.
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However, The Daily Telegraph has learnt de Belin re-signed with the club until at least 2024. The final year of the deal will be an option in the 30-year-old’s favour. It means de Belin could remain a Dragon until he is 33 if he takes up the final year of his deal and can return to the field.
Despite being sidelined since 2018 de Belin’s contract has been significantly upgraded. He was on a deal worth $595,000 last season which the Dragons still continued to pay as de Belin was stood down by the NRL’s no fault-policy.
He remains stood down until the Director of Public Prosecutions makes a final decision on if they will pursue de Belin and co-accused Callan Sinclair for a third time.
The former NSW lock was chased heavily by New Zealand last year with the Warriors tabling a four-year deal worth about $800,000 a season for four years to try to lure him to the club.
It is understood the Dragons contract was slightly less than what the Warriors offered. He has been given about a $200,000 pay rise despite not playing.
The Dragons and de Belin agreed on the new deal but it has not yet been activated because of the ongoing court case. The NRL are also yet to register the new contract.
To safeguard the club, the Dragons inserted a clause which meant they would not have to stump up significant cash while he cannot play.
He is receiving a significantly reduced wage while he is sidelined which is about $1000 a week.
The Dragons play the Tigers on Friday, May 28.
If de Belin is allowed to play again he is likely to return via reserve grade.
New coach Anthony Griffin moved him into the part-time squad in January to remove any distraction from the top team. He has continued to work with St George Illawarra’s high performance staff.
The NRL would need to rubber stamp his return before de Belin is allowed back.
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Originally published as Jack de Belin knocked back Warriors deal before re-signing with Dragons
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