THE KEY QUOTES FOLLOWING THE JACK DE BELIN DECISION
* Jack de Belin:
“I have been stood down from my employment as a professional rugby league player because an allegation has been made against me.
“I am innocent and I will continue to vigorously defend the single charge made against me.
“Professional rugby league careers are short lived, I have worked hard to build my career and I have now been stood down at the height of it, without any certainty around the timeframe to return. I am told it could be well into next year.”
* ARL Commission chairman Peter Beattie:
“As was the case with Dylan Walker, if Jack de Belin is found innocent by the courts, then he’ll be welcomed back to the game.
“This is about protecting the game of rugby league.”
* NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg:
“We’re dealing with people’s livelihoods here.
“My first phone call was to the chief executive of the Dragons to ensure the player had the right support systems around him.
“That will be an ongoing exercise to ensure he has the amount of support and welfare attached to him that was needed.
“We make no judgment whatsoever of anyone’s guilt or innocence. This is a rule that protects the brand and reputation of the game.”
* Rugby League Players Association chief executive Ian Prendergast:
“We’re disappointed in the court’s decision today.
“Not only on behalf of Jack but all our members, in fact all professional athletes in this country.”
* Justice Melissa Perry:
“The court found that the respondents had established a clear and present danger to their legitimate interests given among other things:
“The seriousness of the charge against Mr de Belin and the unprecedented extent of negative reporting which it attracted;
“The fact that the reputation of the NRL competition was already tarnished by the allegations and charges against Mr de Belin and other players during the off-season described in media reports as the ‘summer from hell’.”