NRL says controversial no-fault stand-down rule will work, amid legal challenge

Peter Beattie has told the NRL's sponsors and fans that the league's no-fault stand-down rule will work, despite the game's season launch being overshadowed by drama.The NRL launched its season at Icebergs in Bondi on Thursday night, just hours after Jack de Belin took the game to court over its decision to stand him down.In Federal Court on Thursday, though, the NRL admitted the rule, which will see players charged with serious offences being stood down, was yet to be finalised, meaning de Belin was still eligible to play in the NRL — at least for the next 48 hours.However, the NRL remained adamant the rule would be enacted in the next couple of days and de Belin's ban would be formalised, well before the matter returned to court next Thursday."What I can tell you is the commission endorsed a policy decision last week," NRL boss Todd Greenberg said at the competition's season launch."We then need to write the rule.That will be done in the next 48 hours, and from there we let the courts make their decision." De Belin is attempting to sue the league on the basis it did not have the power to suspend him last Thursday, and that it engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct.He also wants the Federal Court to stop the NRL and ARL Commission from implementing the rule in the future.The rule would see players charged with offences that carry an 11-year jail term, and automatically stood down on full pay for the duration of their cases.Under the yet-to-be-enacted rule, Greenberg also had the power to stand down players charged with offences that carried less than 11 years, such as in the cases of Dylan Walker and Tyrone May.Manly's Walker, who has a pending assault case, and Penrith's May, who faces several charges over recording and disseminating a video, are in the same position.Despite what appeared to be a significant misstep from the Commission, chairman Peter Beattie declared that the new rule would work when addressing the game's sponsors, fans and highest profile players at the season launch."You all know that we're taking a stand on player behaviour.We are determined as a game to grow up as a game," Beattie said."Not just in terms of policy changes but rather a holistic strategy to improve our culture in the game."We do that because it is the right thing to do, and we do that because we value you as partners, we value you our players, and we value our fans."The Commission is absolutely determined to deliver on this."Let me just say to all of you: Give us a little bit of time, but the rule change we brought in — the no-fault rule — will work." Beattie earlier on Thursday admitted his job was on the line over his determination to clean up the game's image, after he last week claimed the no-fault rule gave the league the power to fix its broken culture.Insisting that "you can't compromise on integrity", Beattie said he was "here to do a job for rugby league" and help repair the game's image.De Belin's ual assault charge — which he has vigor

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