BY CURTIS WOODWARD

@woodward_curtis

St George Illawarra Dragons forward Jack de Belin has broken his silence ahead of the 2022 season and had plenty of interesting things to say.

Many wondered if he had to speak to the media at all.

There isn’t much to gain there for the 30-year-old.

The official Dragons website didn’t even bother running anything from the press conference. No club banner behind him, no sponsor branding. No quotes lifted for an article.

It was an interesting play from the club.

NRL.com didn’t pick it up either.

Questions came from hand-picked journalists who were invited down to Wollongong on Wednesday.

Everybody knows the de Belin story and it was the first time he has spoken to the media since his sexual assault allegations were dropped. In December of 2018, de Belin and a mate were charged by police with aggravated sexual assault. He missed over two full seasons of footy with the charges eventually being dismissed.

When asked on Wednesday about returning to State of Origin for New South Wales, de Belin gave a curious response.

“I’d want to hope that if I’m playing well, I’d be selected for sure.”

‘For sure’.

A confident man.

The only thing de Belin should be worried about is getting the Dragons back to the finals because St George Illawarra supporters are probably the only ones he can win back anyway.

Right now, there are many better middle forwards in the competition than de Belin.

“I’d love to get back there (Origin),’’ he said.

“I think it’d be a good story for anyone out there that’s had tough times or had something taken away from them that you can overcome any obstacle.”

The Cootamundra-native will be 31 this month.

In good faith, the Dragons re-signed de Belin in principle, in September 2020 until the end of 2024, pending the result of the trial.

De Belin will be 33 by then.

His best playing days, effectively, are behind him.

Surely all his efforts should be with the Dragons?

What does repaying the club look like right now for the middle forward?

“Firstly it means results on the football field,” he began.

“Having some good form and getting some wins. Then it’s being a model citizen off the field and showing the club that I am a good person and I have the best interests of the club at heart.”

The Dragons didn’t need to offer such a deal.

They did so good luck to both parties.

Keep an eye on the round 3 blockbuster between bitter foes South Sydney and the Roosters. Despite Joey Manu coming out and pouring cold water on the situation this week, don’t expect his teammates to have forgotten what old teammate Latrell Mitchell did in the finals last season.

There’s no doubt the media will continue to fuel the fire in the lead-up to the match at Accor Stadium too.

Mitchell’s vicious tackle on good mate Manu left the Kiwi in hospital and ruled out of the remainder of the season. The shot also got Mitchell suspended.

“I don’t really care about the incident now, what’s done is done for me now, I’ve left it in the past,” Manu told Fox Sports News on Thursday.

“I’d love to just see how he’s [Mitchell] doing and talk to him about life and his family and how they’re going.”

He’s a cool cat, that Joey Manu.

@woodward_curtis