De Belin ruled out of Charity Shield amid welfare concerns

Fellow rep stars Tyson Frizell and James Graham will both make their first preseason appearances in Mudgee, but de Belin was left off the team list "in the interest of player welfare." 

The club has faced relentless criticism for its decision not to stand down the NSW Origin lock after he was charged with aggravated sexual assault in company in Wollongong Court earlier this month.

He entered a plea of not guilty and had his bail conditions adjusted to allow him to fulfill his NRL commitments ahead of his next court appearance on April 17.

The club has stood firmly behind the 27-year-old, with coach Paul McGregor backing his star following the Dragons trial victory in Wollongong last week.

It comes ahead of Thursday's ARLC meeting that will see a review of current NRL policy regarding players charged with serious criminal offences on the agenda. 

Current NRL policy allows players to continue to play while court proceedings play out, though that is tipped to change following Thursday's meeting.

Rugby League Players Association boss Ian Prendergast has implored the NRL not to preempt the court process by sanctioning de Belin, saying it would undermine his presumption of innocence.

Fellow players RLPA board members James Maloney and Jeremy Latimore, the latter a teammate of de Belin's at the Dragons, have echoed that call.

McGregor has named a strong 23-man squad for the  annual clash at Glen Willow Stadium.

The news comes on the same day de Belin's co-accused Callan Sinclair had his bid to play for Norway in an upcoming World Cup Qualifier in London denied in Wollongong Court. 

Sinclair sought to have bail conditions, including the surrender of his passport, relaxed in order to travel to the UK but the bid was unsuccessful. 

Illawarra Mercury