Jack de Belin shown no mercy from ARL Commission over early return

The ARL Commission is believed to have unanimously backed the no-fault stand down policy at a meeting on Wednesday

Dragons player Jack De Belin leaves Wollongong Courthouse during the jury deliberations. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Simon Bullard.

Jack de Belin’s slim hopes of playing in round one next season have suffered another setback after the ARL Commission reiterated their unanimous support for the no-fault stand down policy at a meeting on Wednesday.

The Australian understands that the policy was briefly discussed by the commission to gauge where they each stood on the issue. Any talk that the commission could be fractured over the policy was quickly dismissed — the response was overwhelmingly in favour of the policy’s retention, another blow to de Belin as he and his supporters push for a relaxation of the rule.

Their last hope now rests with the players’ union as they prepare to head to arbitration with the NRL over the way the rule was implemented.

Kayo is your ticket to the best sport streaming Live & On-Demand. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >

The Rugby League Players Association is arguing that they were not properly consulted and therefore the rule should not have come into effect. Arbitration is due to begin at some point this month, although both parties have been tight-lipped on the dates for it to take place.

De Belin will be watching the outcome closely. He was charged with aggravated sexual assault after an incident in Wollongong in late-2018 but a jury was unable to reach a verdict after a trial lasting more than three weeks came to an end earlier this week.

Having already missed two years, there were fears from the de Belin camp that he may be forced to sit out the entirety of next season as he awaited a new trial date but those fears eased on Wednesday when he and his legal team were told to prepare for a return to court in April.

The retrial has been set for three weeks from April 12. Should the trial run the entirety of the time set aside, the best result for de Belin would be a return for round nine of the 2021 competition.

De Belin’s camp have outlined their desire to have a meeting with V’landys and chief executive Andrew Abdo to discuss his situation but it appears they will receive short shrift given the policy still has the backing of the commission.

De Belin will be forced to bide his time. The Dragons have vowed to stand by the former NSW forward, having paid him for the two years he was on the sideline and reached an agreement over a new contract that will only come into effect should he be cleared by the courts.

While he is still being paid by St George Illawarra, it is understood de Belin will not receive his full wage until he is cleared by the courts. The Dragons have the ability to apply for salary cap dispensation, although an April court date means they are unlikely to make an application because de Belin will potentially be back in time to play a major role in their season.

Should he return, it would be a significant fillip for new coach Anthony Griffin given de Belin’s value to the Dragons.

Meanwhile, Penrith are still waiting for a response from Steve Crichton after tabling a revised offer to the NSW squad member earlier this week.

The Panthers were under the impression that they had a deal in place with Crichton but the landscape change when he switched management.

It is understood the Panthers presented an increased offer to his management and remain confident that the talented 20-year-old will commit his future to the club — he has entered the final year of his deal.

The Panthers have tabled offers to several players who have entered the final year of their deals including Jarome Luai and Isaah Yeo. They are still awaiting responses from the pair.