David Riccio: Dragons reveal plan for Jack de Belin after being cleared for NRL comeback

Now that sexual assault charges against Jack de Belin have been dropped, here is how the Dragons have been mapping out his comeback plan.

Jack de Belin will return to rugby league through the NSW Cup. Picture: Ashley Feder/Getty Images

For the past two years and three months, Jack de Belin has clung to the thought of playing in the NRL again.

On Thursday, the state’s Director of Public Prosecutions Lloyd Babb SC and his deputies dropped sexual assault charges against the St George Illawarra forward, meaning he won’t have to stand trial over rape allegations for a third time.

As my colleagues with a deeper knowledge of the justice system than most reported in The Sunday Telegraph last weekend, two hung juries and the possibility of a third trial was an extremely rare situation.

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Which is why St George Illawarra’s executive team have been mapping de Belin’s possible return to the game.

With the DPP deciding not to pursue a conviction against de Belin for a third time, the NRL will move to release him from the no-fault stand down policy that he has been bound by since February, 2019.

St George Illawarra forward Jack de Belin has had sexual assault charges against him dropped. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

However, it would be a mistake to think that with a click of the fingers, the former NSW State of Origin forward will be selected to play either this weekend, or even the following round 13, for the Dragons.

Not only would the NRL want to receive a thorough overview of the court documents, but they want the Dragons to explain how they would manage de Belin’s return both from a welfare and media strategy point of view.

As part of any “return to play” plan, the Dragons have already informed the NRL that the 30-year-old would play his first game of football in the NSW Cup competition — and not in the NRL.

The NSW Cup Dragons play Western Suburbs this weekend at Lidcombe Oval and South Sydney in round 13 at Redfern Oval.

How de Belin handles the speed of the NSW Cup, let alone the NRL of which he hasn’t played under the current rules, is also a factor in any return to first grade.

De Belin’s return through the NSW Cup would come despite Dragons coach Anthony Griffin recently detailing how ‘fit’ the key forward is currently.

Jack de Belin hasn’t played in the NRL for over two years. Picture: Ashley Feder/Getty Images

“Obviously he hasn’t played in two-and-a-half years so we’ll just wait, it’s still a legal matter,” Griffin told Wide World of Sports before Thursday’s decision to drop the charges against de Belin. “But if that gets resolved in his favour we’ll get him there as quickly as we can, he’s very fit at the moment.
“Our high-performance staff were super impressed with his workload and what he was able to do, they thought he was in tip-top shape, so that class never leaves you.
“I think it’d be more just him getting used to the week in, week out footy and trying to stay injury free for the first few weeks. But I’d imagine if he was able to play again, he’d make every week a big week for himself and he’d get back into form fairly quickly.”

De Belin’s availability for the Dragons is also pivotal and impactful on major roster decisions going forward for the club.

Jack de Belin has kept very fit during his time out of the game. Picture: Tim Hunter

The futures of off-contract half Corey Norman and fullback Matt Dufty are linked to the de Belin case in that a third trial would likely eliminate de Belin from the 2020 roster.

De Belin signed a contract extension with the Dragons in 2020, which will see him remain at the Dragons until 2024 if he is cleared of the charges.

The Dragons have been paying de Belin a reduced wage outside the salary cap while he fights his case before the courts.

Having already amassed more than $1 million in court costs, the immediate trigger of an extended contract worth around $700,000 a season for the next four years, is why Friday can’t come quick enough for de Belin.