Dragons’ Covid party ‘risked NRL season’; Jack de Belin hid under bed

NRL star Jack de Belin hid under a bed and teammates jumped in cupboards when police arrived at a Covid-breaching party.

Dragons star Jack de Belin. Picture: Getty Images

St George Illawarra player Jack de Belin hid under a bed and several of his teammates climbed into cupboards to escape detection when police arrived to break up a Saturday night party that has thrown the NRL into chaos.

The NRL took unprecedented action against 13 Dragons players at the centre of the game’s latest Covid-19 scandal, handing out fines worth $305,000 and suspensions totalling 20 games after they were found to have knowingly breached biosecurity protocols, then deliberately misleading the integrity unit.

Prop Paul Vaughan was the hardest hit, handed an eight-game suspension and a fine of $50,000 after being identified as the ringleader of the gathering, which took place at his Shellharbour home on Saturday evening.

Twelve of his teammates, including de Belin, were also suspended for one game apiece.

The NRL deemed that the Dragons could stagger the suspensions over a four-week period to ensure they would be able to field a team and thereby protect the integrity of the competition.

De Belin was not among the 12 players sanctioned by NSW Police on Sunday afternoon for breaching public health orders. However, he was handed a sanction on Monday morning after further inquiries revealed the extent of his involvement.

Dragons prop Paul Vaughan has been banned for eight games. Picture: Getty Images

The NRL was initially told that de Belin, who only recently made his return from an absence of more than two years after being charged with aggravated sexual assault, fleetingly attended the function to drop off some beer. It later emerged that some of his teammates had distorted the truth and that de Belin had indeed attended the gathering for a lot longer. It is believed he was hiding under a bed when police arrived.

De Belin was among the most heavily sanctioned by the NRL – hit with a $42,000 fine, having only recently taken up a lucrative contract with the club worth more than $700,000 a season.

It is understood the NRL was seething that some of the Dragons players had attempted to cover up de Belin’s presence at the gathering. NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo said it was alleged the players deliberately put at risk the continuity of the competition with their actions, which have been roundly condemned.

The Dragons themselves described the actions of their players as arrogant and ignorant.

“In our view, the actions of the players were deliberate and some of the players withheld key information from the integrity unit,’’ he said. “On the information we have, the players understood the protocols and deliberately chose to ignore them … chose to risk the continuity of our competition.

“There are many people working incredibly hard to keep the competition going – it’s a privilege to play football, not a right.

“We’ve made promises to the community and to state governments, and we will do everything we can to honour those promises. I want to stress that there are almost 900 players and officials following strict biosecurity measures and the overwhelming number are doing the right thing.”

Dragons chief executive Ryan Webb said: “The 13 players’ arrogance and ignorance to both the NRL biosecurity protocols and the state government’s public health order is upsetting and infuriating.”