The NRL has quickly confirmed that St George-Illawarra Dragons forward Jack de Belin won't play again until his criminal charges are finalised.
Just hours after de Belin's sexual assault trial failed to reach a verdict, the league reiterated that it won't loosen its no-fault stand-down rule.
The policy prohibits players from taking the field, until serious criminal charges are legally resolved.
De Belin's manager and Dragons officials had called for the NRL to grant the former State of Origin representative dispensation to play in round one, with his case seemingly headed towards a retrial.
On Monday, a Wollongong judge discharged the jury in the trial of de Belin and co-accused Callan Sinclair, after they couldn't reach a unanimous or 11-1 majority verdict.
The director of public prosecutions will now decide whether to pursue a retrial or drop the charges against the accused.
De Belin and Sinclair have pleaded not guilty to all charges, and argued they had consensual sex with a 19-year-old woman, after a night partying in December 2018.
"The no-fault stand-down rule is not about forming a view on the guilt or innocence of an individual," says NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo. "It is about protecting the values and reputation of the game, while a serious criminal process is underway.
"Mr de Belin will remain subject to the no-fault stand-down rule, until his criminal proceedings have been determined by the court."
De Belin's manager, Steve Gillis, wants to talk to Australian Rugby League Commission chair Peter V'landys before Christmas about the policy.
"We'll be having a conversation with them at some stage," Gillis says. "I think we'd all agree the rule wasn't designed to have someone sit three years out of footy and that's the way it's looking today.
"[Australian Rugby League Commission chairman] Peter V'landys is a very approachable and sensible person, and you'd like to think we'd be able to have a discussion and we can find some common ground. The rule was never designed for this."
De Belin extended his deal with the Dragons in September, despite a big-money offer from NZ Warriors.
"We'll continue to support Jack through this period," Dragons chief executive Ryan Webb says.
