By Christian Nicolussi
Jack de Belin says he is honoured to captain St George Illawarra having being thrown the armband in the absence of regular skipper Ben Hunt through Origin duty.
The 32-year-old forward, whose name was given serious consideration for a NSW Origin recall, will lead the Dragons for Thursday night’s clash with the Dolphins.
With Hunt in Queensland Origin camp, caretaker Dragons coach Ryan Carr reached out to de Belin to gauge his enthusiasm about taking the top job. The Dragons had considered appointing de Belin skipper for a game in 2021, only to change their minds at the 11th hour fearing a public backlash.
De Belin was stood down for two years under the NRL’s no-fault rule as he faced rape charges following a night out in December 2018 — the year he made his NSW debut. A jury failed to reach a verdict in his first trial before a jury in a second trial found him not guilty of one sexual assault charge and couldn’t reach a verdict on five others.
“This means the world to me, and to be able to lead this proud club after everything I’ve been through, it’s super satisfying and a good reward,” de Belin told this masthead.
De Belin knows he remains a polarising figure among fans. But he said he is grateful for the positivity he receives from his supporters.
Jack de Belin has been in top form for the Dragons this year.Credit: Getty
“‘Carry’ [caretaker coach Ryan Carr] called me earlier today and said, ‘Are you happy to captain?’ and my response was, ‘Mate, I’d be honoured to’,” de Belin said.
“I see myself as a natural leader and know the leadership qualities I have. I only ever captained the Dragons once, in a Nines game in Auckland.
“People are entitled to their opinions. But it’s a game of football, and I don’t see how me being captain has anything to do with my past. I’ve heard and seen the outrage online, but I’ve only had positivity and people in my corner when I actually see them [face to face].”
Jack Bird and Zac Lomax were two other captaincy options for the Dragons. De Belin has been in excellent touch, and always backed himself to regain the form that earned him his Origin call-up in 2018.
“I was never expecting to be picked [for NSW] and never got my hopes up, but I would have loved to have snuck into that squad.”
Jack de Belin
So good has he been for the Dragons this season that de Belin was discussed as a middle forward option for the Blues. Coach Brad Fittler confirmed this week de Belin’s name had come up.
“I never heard from Freddy,” de Belin said. “I was never expecting to be picked and never got my hopes up, but I would have loved to have snuck into that squad.
“It all comes down to your club form, and if I keep putting in good performances for the Dragons, and we keep racking up wins, hopefully the [representative] selection will take care of itself.
“Playing bigger minutes has helped me, and the more the game goes on, I tend to get into it more.
“I’ve always backed myself and knew it was only a matter of time until I was back to my best. It’s taken me a little longer than I would have liked, but there’s always room for improvement.
“Without a doubt I’d be ready for Origin. I said it back then and I maintain it now: my game is built for Origin, because I’m a defensive player first and foremost, and defence wins you Origin games.
“I’ll definitely up for the challenge. It’s something I’ve dreamt about and visualised, and hopefully, it comes to fruition.”
Meanwhile, NSW and Manly enforcer Jake Trbojevic has been ruled out for up to six weeks.
The 29-year-old suffered a torn calf in Sunday’s win over the Raiders in Canberra, and withdrew from next week’s Origin opener soon after. His brother Ben is also expected to be sidelined for an extended period after tearing his hamstring in the same match.
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