It is hard to imagine Jack de Belin, now 32, getting back to the form that landed him representative jumpers before he was stood down from the NRL for nearly three seasons.
But the St George Illawarra forward is backing himself to do just that – and he even refuses to give up on a return to the State of Origin arena.
“It would be a good story to get back there, don’t worry about that,” de Belin said. “I felt like the rep jerseys were taken away from me prematurely, and I never got the chance to be a year-in, year-out rep player.
“I know what I can produce and what I’m capable of.
“With those rep sides, a lot of it comes down to how your club team is performing at the time. And in 2017 and 2018 I was lucky because I was a part of some strong Dragons sides, and the team’s momentum can push you into those rep sides.”
The Blues have depth in the forwards, in the middle and on an edge, and de Belin is yet to force his way back into a struggling Dragons side because of a couple of calf injuries. He injured his right calf in the opening minutes of a scrimmage game against Manly on a piping-hot morning in early February, then the left calf during a rehab run on the eve of the Charity Shield.
Jack de Belin is refusing to give up on an eventual return to representative footy.Credit: Getty
However, he knows hard work and a few wins in the Red V will help him bump up the Blues’ pecking order. His good mate Tariq Sims, who is now at the Storm, is 33 and has spoken about refusing to close the door on his own NSW career.
The Dragons need a win on Sunday in Canberra, a place that has haunted the club for more than two decades. The Red V have only won two of their past 16 games in the nation’s capital stretching back to 2001, and last won there in 2015. A Dragons’ supporter bus even broke down at Goulburn en route to a 2012 game.
There is so much noise about what change might or might not be coming at the Dragons. De Belin has an option in his favour for 2024, but does not view next year as his swansong.
“I haven’t got a magical number in my head, but I had three years out of the game, so I’d like to add three years at the other end,” de Belin said.
“In that time off I looked after my body. I’m a young 32, and still feel fantastic body wise.”
De Belin faced sexual assault charges following an incident at the end of 2018 and became the first player sidelined under the NRL’s no-fault stand-down policy.
He challenged the ruling in the Federal Court and lost. After two separate court hearings, de Belin was acquitted on one count of sexual assault, while four other related charges were dropped after two juries could not reach a verdict.
Fellow Dragon Talatau Amone was briefly stood down over the summer when charged with a hammer attack on a roofing contractor. Once it emerged his potential punishment would fall short of a minimum 11 years in jail, the threshold to enforce the NRL’s rule, he was allowed to resume playing.
De Belin will forever be disappointed he became the game’s test case, but also appreciated the new rule, saying: “I understand they need to protect their brand and image.”
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