Jack de Belin opens up on Dragons exit as his injury-hit side hold on for win against Eels

Jack de Belin has spoken for the first time about the emotion of leaving the Dragons at the end of the season, saying he’s been on the verge of tears since the club told him they wouldn’t be offering a new deal.

Jack de Belin says he has been on the verge of breaking down after he was told by the Dragons that they were not in a position to offer him a new deal.

De Belin – who would have been the most capped player in Dragons history had it got through next season largely injury free – has spoken for the first time about the emotion of leaving the club at the end of the season.

The 34-year-old has instead signed a one year deal with the Eels with Parramatta having an option to extend the deal by another 12 months.

“I’ve been so emotional,” de Belin said. “I’ve been on the brink of tears for the past week. It’s bitter sweet. All good things come to an end at some point. I was very surprised to be told the club doesn’t want you. It is a bit of a slap in the face. At the end of the day it’s a business. I’m a big boy. I will get on with it.”

De Belin, who was the only surviving Dragons player from Wayne Bennett’s stint at the club, started at lock for the club against his future side on Saturday night. The Dragons hung on to win 34-20 with de Belin stung late in the game by a crusher tackle by Parramatta back-rower Kelma Tuilagi.

An emotional Jack de Belin opened up on his Dragons exit. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

“It’s so sore,” de Belin said. “I am not normally a cranky type but I just saw red there. It hurt so much. He didn’t mean it but that’s footy.

“It was just another game of footy…It was a bit ironic when you think about it being the club I signed with is the first team I’ve played after. It was exciting. It was good to get the win.

“I think you can see when we are on we can beat anyone. It’s about staying focused and giving it a good shake in the finals.”

MATCH REPORT

St George Illawarra’s second-half collapses almost took on a whole new meaning after they threatened to surrender a 22-point lead against a resurgent Eels in Wollongong on Saturday evening.

On a night of high drama in front of one of the biggest ever crowds for a Dragons game at WIN Stadium, Shane Flanagan’s embattled side limped to the finish with not a single fit player on the bench for the last 15 minutes.

On top of losing winger Christian Tuipulotu in the warm-up, the Dragons had veteran hooker Damien Cook struggle in the closing minutes, and they will be counting the cost of a desperately-needed 34-20 victory in coming days.

Forwards Luciano Leilua (quad), Hamish Stewart (concussion), Toby Couchman (shoulder) and Viliami Fifita (knee) all failed to finish the game, heaping the pressure on the Red V before a torrid month in which they’re due to play the ladder-leading Raiders, Roosters and Bulldogs.

If Dragons fans hadn’t suffered enough by already losing three games this season when leading by 12 points after half-time – against the Rabbitohs, Eels and Sharks – their stress levels were off the charts as they somehow kept their top eight fight alive.

Parramatta threatened to erase a massive 26-4 half-time deficit through quick tries to Dragons old boy Zac Lomax, Dean Hawkins and Kelma Tuilagi, and it almost looked inevitable they would chalk up one of the most remarkable wins in their recent history against a busted hosts.

But Lomax tried an audacious offload with less than five minutes left after a Tuilagi line break, the ball falling to Valentine Holmes, who sprinted 60 metres to ice the Dragons’ sixth win of the season. Kyle Flanagan kicked a last-minute penalty goal to seal the result.

The Dragons could finish the weekend on the same number of points as eighth spot if the Sharks don’t upset the Storm in Melbourne on Sunday.

FLANAGAN TAKES UP THE FIGHT FOR SON

Shane Flanagan was breathing fire even before kick-off, telling Fox League in a pre-game interview some of the criticism of his halves, son Kyle and rookie Lyhkan King-Togia, was “ridiculous”.

In a sparkling first-half in which the Dragons ran riot, King-Togia in particular was outstanding, and Kyle Flanagan produced his own statement with a neat try to extend St George Illawarra’s lead.

But the match turned on its head after half-time, with Leilua failing to return to the field, Stewart knocked out after a kick-off carry from Matt Doorey and Couchman in significant pain with a shoulder complaint.

LOMAX JEERED ON WOLLONGONG RETURN

Lomax wrote his own headlines in his first match against his old club earlier this year, sensationally kicking a golden point field goal before missing the next six weeks with a foot injury.

But he had no control over the fans at WIN Stadium. And he couldn’t muster the result he wanted.

There were a smattering of boos every time he went near the ball, and they were loudest when he lined up his only first-half conversion attempt which cannoned into the post.

LAWSON’S ON

If you’d told Nathan Lawson 15 minutes before kick-off he’d have his first NRL try just a couple of sets after the kick-off, he would have laughed at you because he wasn’t even supposed to be playing.

But Tuipulotu was injured in the warm-up, prompting a frantic chaotic last-minute change and Lawson scored at the end of the Dragons’ first set with the ball.

By half-time, Lawson had a double and St George Illawarra’s opposite winger Corey Allan had left the field for a concussion test, passed it and returned to score his own four-pointer as the Dragons steamed the Eels through the middle and took advantage on the edges.

But the second half couldn’t have been a greater contrast with the Eels’ 2026 signing Jack de Belin typifying the Dragons’ struggles, forced to play on an edge as his side desperately hung on.

Originally published as Jack de Belin opens up on Dragons exit as his injury-hit side hold on for win against Eels