St George Illawarra star Jack de Belin is seeking financial compensation and damages from the NRL as he fights to be reinstated, court documents have revealed.
De Belin is suing the NRL and ARL Commission after being stood down under the NRL's controversial "no fault" rules.
After a four-day hearing in the Federal Court last month, Justice Melissa Perry is expected to hand down her judgement in the coming weeks.
De Belin was stood down after being charged with the aggravated sexual assault of a 19-year-old woman in a Wollongong unit.
He has pleaded not guilty.
His lawyers have claimed that the "no fault" rule is unconscionable, represents a restraint of trade, constitutes unlawful interference with his contract and the NRL were misleading in their conduct.
It was previously revealed that De Belin was seeking corrective advertising because, as his lawyers claim, the governing body had no grounds to stand him down and had implied he was guilty.
In an outline of De Belin's barrister's submission to the court, it is stated the NSW State of Origin back-rower is also seeking compensation.
"De Belin should be awarded damages which include compensation for hurt and distress, which may be readily inferred from the treatment he has received at the hands of the respondents; and he should be awarded aggravated damages," the documents say.
"Furthermore, exemplary damages are appropriate to be awarded in the present case for the high-handed, unilateral and contumelious manner in which the respondents have dealt with de Belin since mid-February 2019."
It is not stated how much compensation de Belin is seeking to be awarded.
The NRL claimed it was forced to act after the "summer from hell" in which the game was tarnished by a series of negative headlines.
Major broadcasters Nine and News Limited told NRL CEO Todd Greenberg the charges against de Belin had the potential to drag down the value of future TV deals.
In their closing submission to the court, the NRL denied that De Belin - who is on $545,000 for the 2019 season - had been financially disadvantaged because he was stood down.
De Belin is off contract at the end of 2020 and his management have said his standing down would have a disastrous affect on his future earning potential and ability to secure a new deal.
Instead the NRL argued that his reputation was damaged by the fact he had been charged with a serious crime.
"On being charged, Mr de Belin's reputation is immediately tarnished and he becomes associated with the conduct with which he is charged," the NRL's submission said.
"This is anathema to the values that the NRL seeks to uphold, and the interests of its sponsors and other commercial partners.
"The NRL's failure to act on this issue has already caused it significant financial damage."
Share
