Jack de Belin has sensationally had his three-match ban extended to four matches after unsuccessfully challenging his hip drop suspension at the NRL Judiciary on Tuesday night.

Many good judges believed that it was never even a hip drop to begin with after De Belin was sin binned in St George Illawarra’s tight loss to Manly on Saturday night.

“I think we showed that it probably should have been a grade one (charge), but I respect the judiciary’s decision. That’s life and you’ve got to play the cards you’ve been dealt,” de Belin said after the hearing at NRL HQ.

“If you watch it, I don’t actively or consciously do a hip-drop. It’s kind of one motion and unfortunately I ended up around his boot. There were mitigating factors, but as football players I know we have a responsibility and a duty of care. I don’t necessarily agree that there was a high level of force.”

The Dragons will be without de Belin until round 27.