Veteran Dragon ready to breathe fire one last time
Scott Bailey |
Jack de Belin says he is now at peace with the fact his time at St George Illawarra is up, admitting the process of leaving was made easier by the fact he was not offered a new deal.
De Belin will play his 252nd and final game for the Dragons against Penrith at WIN Stadium on Saturday, finishing as the club’s fourth-most capped player.
Unsigned beyond the end of this year with the joint venture prioritising young talent, de Belin was seen shedding tears with fans after his Parramatta deal was announced in July.
“I’m at peace with it now,” de Belin told AAP.
“Originally, I just never envisioned myself playing for another club. I always pictured myself being a one-club player.
“But things turned out as they did and I’m excited for what’s ahead.
“I always see myself as pretty stoic. I don’t ever really cry or get emotional.
“But when I did sign with Parra and then just speaking to fans, I was always on the brink of tears.”
De Belin last year took up a one-year deal with the Dragons after initially seeking a longer contract, turning down multi-year deals in England in the process.
He did so with the hope staying at the club beyond 2025, but conceded the exit process had ironically been made easier by the Red V taking the decision out of his hands.
“I didn’t have to ponder anything. I pretty much got told I wasn’t going to be a Dragon, so straight away we got it done with Parra,” de Belin said.
“If it was a battle for my services and kept going back-and-forth it would’ve been so hard.
“Because I have been here 16 years now and I’ve got such a deep connection to the club and all the fans and everyone here. It would’ve been super hard.
“But for it to happen so quickly I think it helped me. I didn’t have to wrestle with that decision, it just happened.”
De Belin likes what he is seeing at Parramatta, after being won over by former Dragon Jason Ryles on meeting with him earlier this year.
The Eels deal is initially for one season with an option for 2027, but de Belin is adamant he has at least two NRL campaigns left in him.
The forward has largely avoided injuries through his career, and has previously suggested the two-and-a-half years out of the NRL while fighting sexual assault charges had his body feeling younger.
He was ultimately acquitted on one count, while four others were dropped following two hung juries prompting his return to the NRL in 2021.
“I always back myself. I know what I’m capable of, I’ve still got plenty of life left in the legs,” de Belin said.
“That’s why last year I wanted to get a multi-year contract, but I got told I would only go by year and I was happy to do that and back myself.
“Then push came to shove and it wasn’t going to be.
“But I’m super excited for the future, but Parra has taken a leap of faith in me, so trust me I won’t be letting them down.”
AAP
