St George Illawarra Dragons star Jack de Belin has had his aggravated sexual assault case set for retrial in April 2021.
De Belin will defend himself all over again in Sydney on April 12 after a unanimous or majority verdict was unable to be reached by the jury, following three weeks of evidence in the high-profile case.
It's a precarious outcome for the NRL after de Belin became the test case of the league's 'no fault' stand down policy, introduced after the game's image copped a battering due to a spate of off-field incidents in the so-called 'off-season from hell' in late 2018.
The edict, created by former NRL CEO Todd Greenberg and ARL Commission chairman Peter Beattie, determined that players facing serious criminal charges would be sidelined until their court proceedings were finalised.
Formally charged ahead of season 2019, de Belin has since been ineligible to play for two years, despite training with the Dragons and collecting full pay, in excess of $600,000-a-season.
His protracted trial throws up a plethora of considerations for the NRL, now under the leadership of Andrew Abdo and ARL Commission chairman Peter V'landys, and its policy – particularly around the impact it has on the careers of those who are found innocent.
An Origin and Kangaroos incumbent when he was first stood down, de Belin will be stripped of nearly three years of his prime playing career. Should he be found not guilty, by midway through the 2021 season he will be nearing 31 years old.
A clause in his contract will also reportedly see him lose part of his salary when his case continues into the 2021 season.
The Rugby League Players' Association will undoubtedly be up in arms, as will the Dragons, who have felt the full effect of having arguably the club's best player sidelined across a torrid two seasons without a single finals game to show for it.
It's impossible to crystal ball whether de Belin's presence would have turned the Red V's fortunes around, but it's easy to argue it would have helped.
A stretched forward pack over-reliant on departing star Tyson Frizell lacked the oomph required of a top-tier front row, while rumours of off-field dissent between de Belin and his teammates didn't help then coach Paul McGregor's sinking ship.
"He hasn't played for two years…nothing replaces a game," Dragons head coach Anthony Griffin told Fox Sports.
"He's injury free and he's as fit as he can be without playing. But we'd take some time to feed him back into the squad."
For V'landys, the man often described as a saviour of rugby league in Australia, de Belin's retrial will perhaps prove his biggest test since navigating the game through a global pandemic.
Heralded for an ability to listen and act on the sentiments of fans, players and stakeholders, V'landys and Abdo will have to balance an inevitable looming sentiment to jettison the 'no fault' policy, should de Belin be found not guilty, while preserving the unprecedented professionalism they have thrust upon the game.
Speaking on the issue, Abdo perhaps gave the biggest indication that the policy was here to stay.
"It's a matter of policy that was set by the Commission. It's a strong decision. I support it," Abdo said.
"I was at the NRL at the time, I was the Chief Commercial Officer, and part of the discussion why we did it – we did it for the right reasons. We did it to protect the game.
"The 'no fault' stand-down policy was an important moment for us. It was a message to our fans that while we won't prejudge anyone's guilt or innocence, those charged with very serious offences will still remain employed but will not be able to participate in the premiership.
"I don't see any reason for that changing. If Jack de Belin is found innocent, he will be permitted to play."
Abdo also allayed fears around questions of legality and fairness around sidelining a player who would eventually be found innocent.
To that, he pointed to the federal court case launched by de Belin against the NRL and its policy in 2019.
Justice Melissa Perry ruled against the Dragons star in favour of the NRL, reinforcing the legitimacy of the policy in its pursuit to protect the game.
"The court accepted that nothing short of a rule precluding Mr. de Belin and others charged in the future with serious offences of a similar nature from taking the field was likely to address the clear and present danger established by the evidence," Justice Perry said in her judgement.
"The court also accepted that where criminal proceedings were not finalised there would be a real danger of contempt of court if the NRL were to investigate whether the code of conduct had been breached."
To be stood down players must also be formally charged by police based on credible evidence, and not solely on claims by individuals alone.
Whichever side you fall on, the 'no fault' stand down policy was ultimately borne out of player behaviour, and has set a bold new standard for off-field expectations.
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