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Jack de Belin feared St George Illawarra teammate Talatau Amone would miss the entire season through the same no-fault stand-down rule he once challenged in the Federal Court, but says he now understands the NRL’s need for the policy.
Amone made his NRL return in the Dragons’ win over the Dolphins on Saturday, finding his groove at five-eighth after being charged with assault in the off-season.
The 20-year-old was initially stood down over the charges, which carry up to 14 years in jail.
However, his ban was lifted when his case was downgraded to the Local Court, reducing his maximum sentence to five years and putting it below the NRL’s stand-down threshold.
De Belin remains the highest-profile case to be stood down under the no-fault policy, after he missed two-and-a-half years following sexual assault charges in late 2018.
Jack de Belin (Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)
The former NSW lock took the NRL to the Federal Court in 2019 and claimed the rule was unlawful, before the NRL successfully argued off-field issues had endangered their commercial interests.
De Belin returned to the game in June 2021, after he was acquitted on one count of sexual assault and four other related charges were dropped following two hung juries. No trial date is yet set for Amone’s case, and de Belin said he feared he too could have his career left in limbo.
“As soon as I saw he got the stand-down, I honestly didn’t think he would be playing footy this year,” de Belin said. “You don’t want to see anyone sitting on the sidelines when you have something sitting over your head.
“You have the presumption of innocence, so he obviously has that on his side. He is such a young kid, these are the most important years of his career. You don’t want to be sitting it out over an accusation.
“But the NRL, they have to do what they have to do. They have to protect their brand. I understand that, it was the same with me. It’s nothing personal.”
Junior Amone. (Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images)
De Belin said he had not spoken with Amone on how to handle being stood down, with the youngster already well supported.
“Junior was absolutely killing it at training, and he always came with a good attitude. That’s all you can do,” de Belin said. “It was great for me to have routine. With the whole legal situation, you never know how long it will go for, there will always be bumps in the road.
“As soon as I wasn’t able to train with first grade and was with reserve grade, I went and joined a jiu jitsu club and made sure I was busy. I was studying. You need that routine. You need purpose in your life because if you’re doing nothing it can feel pretty empty.”
De Belin is off contract this year, but has an option to extend at the Dragons until 2024. He is yet to sign, but the 32-year-old is expected to do so with the forward adamant his best football is still ahead of him.
“I am still fresh, I pretty much missed three years of the game. I have always looked after my body,” he said. “The club has been loyal to me and I have been loyal to the club. It’s a two-way street, and we have both been good to each other. I would like to think it continues on in the future.”
The NRL will consider stripping Jarryd Hayne of his two Dally M Medals after being found guilty of raping a woman on the night of the 2018 grand final.
One of the biggest names in rugby league during the 21st century, Hayne is now awaiting sentencing over two counts of sexual assault.
After being found guilty in 2021 and spending nine months behind bars, Hayne successfully won the right to a retrial the following year before Tuesday’s judgement.
His next verdict is likely to come in the ARL Commission’s boardroom. Hayne is a two-time Dally M Medallist, taking home the NRL’s major gong in 2009 and 2014.
Jarryd Hayne (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
He was also the NRL’s winger of the year in 2007, before twice collecting the honour of the game’s best fullback. Any decision on whether the 35-year-old will be stripped of those awards will come after an avenue for appeal is closed, after Hayne maintained his innocence on Tuesday and indicated an appeal could follow.
If so, it would mark the first time the NRL has taken titles away from an individual.
They have previously done so in a team sense, with Melbourne’s 2007 and 2009 premierships stripped after salary cap cheating.
At Parramatta, it’s likely they will follow the NRL’s lead.
Hayne is a two-time recipient of the Eels’ illustrious Ken Thornett Medal, while he also won the Jack Gibson coach’s award in 2009 and was the club’s rookie of the year in 2006.
The fullback has largely been missing from the NRL highlights reels in recent years after being one of the game’s most recognisable players.
He shot to prominence during Parramatta’s run to the 2009 grand final, putting on one of the most dominant runs in memory to help the Eels to their first decider in eight years.
He was also the man behind NSW’s drought-breaking State of Origin success in 2014, starring in Game I and then running the ball dead to clinch the series in Sydney.
In total he scored 121 tries in 214 NRL games, represented NSW 23 times and Australia and Fiji in a combined 21 matches.
He was also never far from the headlines after being targeted by a drive-by shooting in Kings Cross in 2008 and shocking the NRL in late 2014 by deciding to pursue a career in the NFL.
By the time Hayne was charged, he had returned to the NRL but his best playing days were behind him. His final year at Parramatta resulted in a wooden spoon, and Hayne was set to enter the 2019 pre-season unsigned.
Off the back of his previous achievements, it was likely he would still earn a contract. But by 20 days into the official rugby league year in November 2018 he was charged over the sexual assault of a woman in Newcastle.
After four-and-a-half years of unsuccessfully fighting those charges, Hayne’s rugby league achievements could be stripped among the final punishments.
Cronulla’s depth is set to undergo a significant test with the Sharks announcing that prop Toby Rudolf will be sidelined for the next three months.
Rudolf sustained an injury to his big toe in Sunday’s 32-30 loss to the Warriors and underwent surgery on Tuesday.
The front-rower has become a key component of Craig Fitzgibbon’s squad and his absence will be keenly felt.
Toby Rudolf. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
Rudolf’s injury could not have come at a worse time with lock Dale Finucane suspended for the next three weeks.
The Sharks have the bye in round six before facing the Sydney Roosters at home, where Fitzgibbon will have Oregon Kaufusi and Wade Graham back on deck.
Cronulla have begun the season with two wins from their first five games.
Respect for his opponents and teammates beside him will drive Dolphins lock Tom Gilbert to fire when he returns to Townsville to play his former club North Queensland.
The 22-year-old will lock horns with his close friend and Cowboys prop Reuben Cotter in the NRL round six clash on Friday night.
Gilbert just wants to walk off the field with a win and his head held high.
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“You can’t get emotional about games like this. It is selfish if you think about it being about yourself and a big homecoming,” Gilbert told AAP. “It is about doing your job. That is black and white for me.
“I’ve always wanted to make sure that when I was going up there it wasn’t about me, it was about my team, the Dolphins. The Cowboys did a lot for me and I just want to play a game that is the product of the player they helped me to become.
“They played a big part in my journey from the age of 15. I am still in touch with a lot of the boys there and I want to make sure the blokes who put a lot of effort into me didn’t waste their time.”
Gilbert signed with the Cowboys as a 15-year-old, made his NRL debut there and established himself as one of the game’s best young forwards last year when the team reached the preliminary final.
After making his Maroons debut in 2022, Gilbert signed with the Dolphins to be closer to his extended Brisbane family and play with a group of hard-headed forwards such as Jesse and Kenny Bromwich, Felise Kaufusi and Mark Nicholls.
He has not forgotten Cowboys prop Cotter’s influence. “Reuben was a big mentor for me and a huge role model, as well as being one of my best mates,” Gilbert said. “He made me believe in what I could become as a footy player and helped me go to the next level. I watched him, admired him and wanted to have his back.”
When Gilbert crosses the white line there is no quarter given, and he knows Cotter will have the same approach on Friday night. “That is something Reuben has instilled in me. It is always about giving your best,” Gilbert said.
“No doubt after the game we will both want to share a moment together after knowing we both did our jobs for our team.”
The Dolphins have lost two games in a row after winning their first three. “It is all about getting back to what we are good at,” Gilbert said. “That’s high completions and making sure each individual does their job from the first kick-off until the end. It is all underpinned by effort, hard work and lots of energy.”
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