St George Illawarra star Jack de Belin is seeking financial compensation and damages from the NRL as he fights to be reinstated, court documents have revealed.
De Belin is suing the NRL and ARL Commission after being stood down under the NRL’s controversial “no fault” rules.
After a four-day hearing in the Federal Court last month, Justice Melissa Perry is expected to hand down her judgement in the coming weeks.
De Belin was stood down after being charged with the aggravated sexual assault of a 19-year-old woman in a Wollongong unit.
He has pleaded not guilty.
His lawyers have claimed that the “no fault” rule is unconscionable, represents a restraint of trade, constitutes unlawful interference with his contract and the NRL were misleading in their conduct.
It was previously revealed that De Belin was seeking corrective advertising because, as his lawyers claim, the governing body had no grounds to stand him down and had implied he was guilty.
In an outline of De Belin’s barrister’s submission to the court, it is stated the NSW State of Origin back-rower is also seeking compensation.
“De Belin should be awarded damages which include compensation for hurt and distress, which may be readily inferred from the treatment he has received at the hands of the respondents; and he should be awarded aggravated damages,” the documents say.
“Furthermore, exemplary damages are appropriate to be awarded in the present case for the high-handed, unilateral and contumelious manner in which the respondents have dealt with de Belin since mid-February 2019.”
It is not stated how much compensation de Belin is seeking to be awarded.
The NRL claimed it was forced to act after the “summer from hell” in which the game was tarnished by a series of negative headlines.
Major broadcasters Nine and News Limited told NRL CEO Todd Greenberg the charges against de Belin had the potential to drag down the value of future TV deals.
In their closing submission to the court, the NRL denied that De Belin – who is on $545,000 for the 2019 season – had been financially disadvantaged because he was stood down.
De Belin is off contract at the end of 2020 and his management have said his standing down would have a disastrous affect on his future earning potential and ability to secure a new deal.
Instead the NRL argued that his reputation was damaged by the fact he had been charged with a serious crime.
“On being charged, Mr de Belin’s reputation is immediately tarnished and he becomes associated with the conduct with which he is charged,” the NRL’s submission said.
“This is anathema to the values that the NRL seeks to uphold, and the interests of its sponsors and other commercial partners.
“The NRL’s failure to act on this issue has already caused it significant financial damage.”
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
The Dogs lost a couple of sponsors but have total kit sponsorships higher than any other club now it's believed. The outfit they wear on the field is full capacity regarding sponsorship.
catcat
Roar Rookie
Dogs lost a shorts sponsor (some ice cream company). They left with a year to go on the contract
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
The majority of punters seem to know much of what happened on the night before the player has had a chance to defend himself. Brett Stewart apparently grabbed a teenager in front of a block of units while drunk and sexually assaulted her just like a Pelican as well. Trouble is it was all a fairy tale. We are obliged to give JBD the benefit of the doubt , it's not optional.
Hard Yards
Roar Rookie
No he hasn't and I'm not suggesting he did what is alleged. But still, he's not going to win a Nobel Prize for the situation that he voluntarily found himself in.
Insider
Roar Rookie
Soooo this Melbourne scenario was simply a stunt, thought as such, as for Ch9 of course they would have ago at getting something for nothing
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
None have left,in fact they have added sponsors, Trip A Deal coming on board as a back of jersey sponsor
RbbAnonymous
Roar Rookie
How is De Belin a Pelican. He hasn't been convicted of the charges.
Insider
Roar Rookie
Just as I thought
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
None have left.
Hard Yards
Roar Rookie
The real issue from the NRLs point of view I guess , is that they are sick of pelicans. Pelicans bring a sour note to the symphony. I guess they are drawing a line in the sand. Their public and court arguments are baby-stuff and actually conceal what is really a simple position I think.
Emcie
Roar Guru
I think it's fair to say that however this turns out the NRL will be ok with it. Their decision flipped the overwhelmingly negative narrative on the eve of the season opener. From a business sense they'll see it as a decisions that had to be made, it probably saved them more money then they could potentially forfit. That said, it's concerning how much influence broadcast partners seem to have on internal policies going off some of those statements. If they're able to influence the employment policies it's no wonder they keep getting their contracts renewed without actually having to complete any of the terms in their last deal...
Insider
Roar Rookie
thanks for your input FT/DP but I want to know how many have actually left? The NRL had Melb come to court and play their violin but I’m yet to hear of any StG sponsors walking or any other Sydney/Brisbane/GC or Townsville sponsors walking
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
I don't know about other sponsors but St George bank is continuing their deal despite the predictable rumors and I suspect we would have heard if other sponsors had left. It seems some sponsors left the Dogs after mad Monday but who knows if they were going to leave anyway and have been replaced by more lucrative sponsors. Saints and Manly won't stand down their charged players before the trial if they can play them and that stance should be causing them damage if the threats are valid but where is the evidence that it is damaging either club?
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
My understanding is that the response from some sponsors - including major ones - hasn't been good for the club.
Paul
Roar Guru
"contumelious" - way too big a word for a Saturday morning!
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
I agree with the NRL that the damage to reputations was done when JDB was charged. It's the same as all previous cases and it can't be reversed. Despite all the hysteria , nothing particularly bad happens when charged players are allowed to play on until trial as it's happened before. The anger the NRL bosses has shown to charged players before the trials and poor treatment has been shown in all previous cases to be out of order. How about adopting a neutral position in these cases where it is one persons word against another? The lynch mob will only be happy when everyone including his club , team mates , friends and family cast him aside on the chance that he may be guilty.
Insider
Roar Rookie
The one question I have is can anyone please confirm how many St George Illawarra sponsors have stated they would pull sponsorships! How convenient ch9 would say as much no one seriously believes that, you go back into recent history and the sport was already tarnished before JDB arrived. Should JDB win ( remember what they said to Terry Hill ) the damage will be huge on and off the field