The Dragons have handed Jack De Belin the captaincy for Thursday’s round 13 clash against the Dolphins. It is a move which will raise plenty of eyebrows after the 32-year-old prop faced six charges stemming from an alleged sexual assault following a night out in 2018.
He replaces Ben Hunt, who is in Origin camp with Queensland ahead of the series opener on May 31.De Belin last played for the Blues in 2018, and they won the series 2-1. Ben Haran, the Dragons head of football, confirmed De Belin will lead out the Red V at Redcliffe.
De Belin was later cleared of one charge, with a jury unable to reach a verdict on a further five charges. The veteran who was close to an Origin recall for NSW due to his barnstorming form in 2023 has been handed the leadership role by interim coach Ryan Carr.
‘He is part of our leadership group and is a great competitor.’Such has been De Belin’s purple patch, Blues selectors sounded out the Dragons medical staff to check on his fitness levels. He may play a part in the series if Brad Fittler opts for some new faces as the Blues look to wrestle back the shield from the Maroons.
‘Jack is our most experienced player who has been in really good form and carried himself exceptionally well off the field this season,’ Haran told News Corp. ‘We are missing our captain in Ben Hunt and we felt Jack is someone who commands a lot of respect from his teammates.
