Former representative forward Jack de Belin has spoken candidly about the NRL’s controversial no fault stand down policy that saw him sidelined for almost three years on charges that were ultimately dropped.
Appearing on the Chiming In podcast with Steve Gillis, de Belin unsurprisingly expressed frustration with the rule that saw him stood down for the entirety of the 2019 and 2020 NRL seasons.
“That rule was essentially introduced because of the case hanging over my head, I’m not a big fan of it, I went to court against the NRL and lost,” de Belin said, revealing he spent close to one million dollars in legal fees trying to fight aggravated sexual assault charges following an encounter with a woman in Wollongong back in December 2018.
“It’s nothing personal, I understand what the NRL did, but at the same time, where is the presumption of innocence? Let the courts handle it all—the NRL stepped in and they were kind of playing dictator there,” he reflected.
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Given there have been several other instances where the rule has been invoked only for players to be cleared, de Belin was asked if he feels rule warrants reviewing.
“You’d think so, but at the end of the day the NRL make the rules so it’s up to them, it is what it is,” he said.
‘I would have been finished’
De Belin explained he was fortunate to have a current contract with the Dragons at the time of the stand down, meaning he was still able to train and be paid despite not playing.
If it wasn’t for the security of that contract, De Belin says his life could have looked very different.
“There were two trials, there was a stay motion, there was a federal court case as well against the NRL, (the legal costs) would be pushing close to a million,” he said.
“I would have been finished (without a contact), I was in a fortunate position that I managed to make ends meet to get the court case happening.”
‘Absolutely could have gone to jail’
Through it all, de Belin said he never thought he would serve jail time despite facing serious criminal charges.
“I don’t know if it was blind optimism, but at the time I never for one second thought I was going to be found guilty—because I didn’t do it,” he said, before admitting that looking back now the reality could have been far more damaging.
“In hindsight, I absolutely could have gone to jail, there was a lot of public hype around my case and sexual assault cases in general, it wasn’t the best time to be going through a trial like that.”
While acknowledging he made a serious error of judgement on that fateful night in Wollongong, one of the 34-year-old’s biggest regrets is the embarrassment his wife Alyce has suffered as the case played out in the public spotlight.
“At the end of the day, morally I did the wrong thing, I made a mistake and that’s something I have to live with for the rest of my life,” de Belin said.
“But criminally, not for one second did I do the wrong thing.
“A lot of things happen in people’s relationships but it’s usually behind closed doors, unluckily for us this was played out in the public.”
A timeline of trouble.
- December 2018 - Jack De Belin is charged by NSW police with aggravated sexual assault following an encounter with a woman in Wollongong.
- February 2019 - Stood down by the NRL under the newly-introduced 'no fault stand down policy', which allows players to train but not play until the completion of serious legal cases.
- May 2021 - Following a series of challenges, delays and retrials, the charges against de Belin are formally withdrawn by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
- 29 May 2021 - De Belin signs a new four-year deal with St. George Illawarra and nearly 1,000 days after his last competitive match, he runs out for the Dragons in NSW Cup.
- June 2021 - De Belin makes his return to NRL first grade against the Broncos at Kogarah.
After playing for the Dragons since 2011, de Belin will link with the Parramatta Eels from 2026.