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St George Illawarra say Jack de Belin is considering appealing a legal setback in the Federal Court which saw his bid for reinstatement to the NRL fail.
Jack de Belin and the Rugby League Players Association are weighing up whether to challenge the NRL’s Federal Court win over the star St George Illawarra back-rower.
Justice Melissa Perry on Friday dismissed de Belin’s case against the ARL Commission and NRL after he challenged the “no fault” stand down rules.
While it was a landmark victory for the NRL and their quest to mend the game’s reputation, further court challenges loom as de Belin ponders how to salvage his career after he was stood down pending a criminal case.
The Dragons said in a statement that de Belin, who has denied a charge of sexual assault stemming from an incident in December, was considering appealing the decision.
RLPA chief executive Ian Prendergast said the union will consider challenging the NRL under the collective bargaining agreement.
During his case, de Belin challenged the fact that the “no-fault” provisions were not agreed to during the union’s CBA negotiations with the NRL.
The RLPA described Justice Perry’s judgment as “disappointing” and Prendergast said the no-fault rules defy a person’s basic right to a presumption of innocence.
“We’re disappointed in the court’s decision,” Prendergast said.
“Not only on behalf of Jack, but all our members, in fact all professional athletes in this country.
“We’ve maintained our opposition to the policy throughout because it goes outside of what we’ve agreed to under the collective bargaining agreement and the penalties it effectively imposes.
“We’ll now go away and consider the collective issues on behalf of our members including issuing a dispute under the CBA.”
© AAP
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