St George Illawarra have made the controversial decision to appoint Jack de Belin as captain for their Round 13 clash with the Dolphins.
The 32-year-old has been in strong form this season for the Dragons, averaging 117 run metres and 41 tackles per game, and is set to lead the side out in the absence of Queensland star Ben Hunt.
De Belin spent over two years on the sidelines as part of the NRL no-fault stand-down policy, before his sexual assault charges were eventually dropped after two trials and he returned to the field in May 2021.
The lock-forward was reportedly close to a NSW Blues call up for the Origin opener, but was eventually overlooked for the likes of Tevita Pangai Junior and Tyson Frizell.
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The decision to appoint de Belin as skipper has caused quite a stir online, but the fact is the Cootamundra product is not a criminal and whether you agree with his moral compass or not, he shouldn't be treated as one.
De Belin claimed innocence throughout his entire legal battle and given the NRL allowed him back into the game as soon as all charges were dropped, there is no reason for him to be iced out of a leadership role.
Is this the most ideal selection? Of course not. De Belin carries a lot of baggage and there have been constant question marks over the club's culture.
Francis Molo and Zane Musgrove have both had their share of off-field dramas, while young gun Talatau Amone is still up on assault charges following an incident last year.
But given the absence of Hunt, Blake Lawrie and Jaydn Su'A for Thursday night's clash and a clear lack of depth in the leadership department, de Belin was the only logical choice to lead the side given his experience, form and respect among the St George Illawarra squad.
Fresh off a narrow win over the Roosters, the 17th-placed Dragons will be looking to get their season back on track when they take on Wayne Bennett's side at Kayo Stadium.
Why is Jack de Belin captain for Dragons?
With the absence of regular captain Hunt due to State of Origin commitments, de Belin will lead the Red V out
Since making his debut in 2011, de Belin has played close to 200 games for the club and is a former NSW representative and was widely considered one of the competition's best forwards until his enforced absence prior to the 2019 season.
Lawrie and Su'A are both sidelined due to injury, while the other two members of the club's leadership group - Zac Lomax and Jack Bird - are not captaincy material at this stage.
Ryan Carr defends decision to appoint Jack de Belin as captain
The decision to hand the captain's armband to de Belin was always going to divide opinion - but that's something that Ryan Carr is more than happy to deal with.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday morning, the club's interim coach explained the reasoning behind the decision and praised de Belin for his work ethic and leadership skills.
“He is our most experienced player,” Carr said.
“You can tell by his form in the past month in particular, how hard he is trying for this team and for this club. He puts his body on the line, he wears his heart on his sleeve and the boys follow him through his performance.
“It’s based on his performances and actions as a leader at the moment... we picked the person who could do the best job for the team this week.
“This is my first year at the club. What’s happened previously is not for me to comment on. You can tell how hard he is trying and how hard he is trying to be a leader.
"Blocka and Su'A are some of our experience and they are out this week through injury, we can't help that.
“We’re working hard on it, but I don't think it's something we have to focus too hard on. Whoever is in that position needs to do their job. Once we start asking people to do things which aren’t natural to them, it becomes a bit forced.
“Ben is our captain. It’s just for this week. We have a relatively young squad as you can see on paper.”
Carr's comments are more than fair on the surface.
The 34-year-old is a young coach who has been thrust into the top job mid-way through the year and has only been with the organisation since November. Carr has undoubtedly seen more behind closed doors regarding de Belin's leadership skills than those outside the four walls at Wollongong.
In an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald, de Belin said was honoured to captain the side for the first time against the Dolphins.
“This means the world to me, and to be able to lead this proud club after everything I’ve been through, it’s super satisfying and a good reward," he said.
“People are entitled to their opinions. But it’s a game of football, and I don’t see how me being captain has anything to do with my past.
"I’ve heard and seen the outrage online, but I’ve only had positivity and people in my corner when I actually see them."
Jack de Belin 2023 stats
| Games | 8 |
| Tries | 1 |
| Tackle Breaks | 10 |
| Offloads | 5 |
| Avg. Run Metres | 113m |
| Avg. Post-Contact Metres | 31m |
| Avg. Tackles | 41 |
| Tackle Efficiency | 96.4% |
