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De Belin and NRL set for Federal Court showdown yet the Dragons must make the call

7th March, 2019
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7th March, 2019
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I sincerely hope that Jack de Belin is innocent. There should be no satisfaction for any decent person in seeing a young, successful athlete found guilty of such an alleged, disgusting and offensive act.

The police have referred to the ‘strong case’ against him and it is hard to find even a single ray of light on which to pin hopes that this entire saga ends as some sort of misunderstanding.

From the outside and considering the specifics of the allegation, it does not look good.

However, both the alleged victim and de Belin are human beings with the right to be heard and their viewpoints considered by an authority for which our society has the utmost respect.

The determination will be made by those with all matter of evidence and knowledge at their disposal. The media will play a role and the public will shape and reshape its opinions as the trial unfolds.

The NRL will be watching closely, knowing that 2019 will long be remembered as the year that, after a litany of love tap punishments, it was ‘forced’ to take a firmer stand against the boofheads that bring the game of rugby league into disrepute.

Jack De Belin of the Dragons makes a break

Jack de Belin. (AAP Image/Darren Pateman)

I use the word ‘forced’ with full intent, believing that the cultures of drinking, entitlement and misogyny have never been taken seriously enough by the powers at be.

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The bubble within which players have lived for so long has finally been pricked and the fallout is considerable.

Sadly for the game, the ever shifting line in the sand only took permanent root when the public had reached a point of finality.

Hence the NRL’s new ‘tough’ stance. That stance now demands a higher standard and potentially lays out far sterner repercussions for players who fail to act like that increasingly difficult creature to locate; a decent man.

I’m disappointed that it took so long and angry that it was an outraged public that proved the catalyst, however, at least the governing body got to the right place in the end. De Belin’s case plays an important role in the new line taken by the NRL.

With criminal charges pending, the body has expressed its intent to stand players down from their duties at its discretion. Whilst not having taken this step in de Belin’s case due to the pending enactment of their ‘no fault – stand down’ policy, it appears likely the NRL will when given the chance.

De Belin has responded in kind and the question over the legality of standing down a still innocent man will be decided in the Federal Court in Sydney when the case resumes on March 12.

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As de Belin fights for his right to take to the field with his mates while he faces aggravated sexual assault charges later in the year, it strikes me that his dispute with the NRL should not even exist.

The NRL, its fans and de Belin himself all want the Blues representative on the field. However, it the St George Illawarra Dragons’ desire for that to happen that has led us to this point.

What the club seems willing to overlook is the modern reality of their existence as a brand. It is a cringe worthy term yet everything is a brand these days. Businesses are brands, sports are brands even personalities speak of their image as a brand.

NRL CEO Todd Greenberg speaks during the 2018 NRL Finals Series Launch at Allianz Stadium on September 3, 2018 in Sydney, Australia.

NRL CEO Todd Greenberg. (Photo: MAtt King/Getty Images)

Constant customer feedback is sought to protect the brand; to ensure that the feelings associated with the brand are positive and connote ideas of success, credibility and status.

The Dragons appear content for their brand to play second fiddle to the potential success of the team.

Every NRL club has a salary cap of $9.6 million to pay the players on their list. Each member of the top thirty is entitled to a minimum wage of $105,000, not to mention endorsements and third party deals accepted by top end players.

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An average of 16,909 fans attended Dragons matches in 2018 and at the time of writing 12,226 people had invested in club memberships for the upcoming season. Those numbers are staggering and merely a 16th of the overall revenue and turnover within the game.

The sad reality for de Belin is that the Dragons brand is trashed by perception at the minute.

Is it somewhat unfair? Potentially, yet the prudent call is for the club to stand de Belin down; offer support where required and monitor his mental health carefully as he grapples with an uncertain future.

It is an unfortunate by-product of professional sport, yet a position of integrity in fairness to all parties would be for the Dragons to relieve de Belin of his duties and allow justice to take its natural course. With the key role the Dragons have played in the birth of WNRL, this position is even more compelling.

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It is not uncommon for business to stand down employees pending litigation. In many years of teaching I saw several colleagues removed from institutions after rather wild and fanciful allegations were made against them.

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No doubt de Belin feels the new rule will be unfair. However, it is the correct course of action in these matters.

It is a shame the Dragons have failed to take the prudent path and subsequently forced the NRL’s hand. However, I wonder how many clubs would protect their brand and stand down a player in similar circumstances?

I would guess, none!

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