Jack De Belin: Where Is He Now? Salary, Leaving Dragons

When a player who’s worn the same jumper for over a decade suddenly packs his bags, it’s natural to wonder what went wrong. Jack de Belin’s move from St. George Illawarra to Parramatta in 2025 is one of those stories – part salary cap squeeze, part career reset, with a legal history that never quite goes away – and here’s what we actually know about where he’s playing, how much he’s earning, and what comes next.

Age: 35 (born 17 March 1991) ·
NRL Games: 252 (pre‑2025) ·
Current Team: Parramatta Eels ·
Former Team: St. George Illawarra Dragons (2012–2024)

Seven rows of biographical and career data, one pattern: a player whose personal details are well‑documented but whose recent moves have been anything but straightforward.

Where is Jack de Belin now?

Current club and contract

• Jack de Belin is currently listed as a member of the Parramatta Eels NRL squad (Parramatta Eels official NRL club site).
• He signed a two‑year deal with the Eels, with the transfer effective from the 2026 season (Wikipedia online encyclopedia).
• He plays primarily as a lock (jersey #13) and can also cover prop.

Role at Parramatta Eels

• The Eels have a relatively settled forward pack, meaning de Belin will compete for a starting lock spot or serve as a bench utility.
• His experience — over 250 NRL games — gives him a strong case for a regular first‑grade role.
• He has also represented Papua New Guinea in 2023, 2024 and 2025, including selection for the PNG Prime Minister’s XIII in 2025 (Parramatta Eels official NRL club site).

The pattern: Parramatta gains a seasoned, defensively solid forward who has played at representative level — but one whose form has been questioned in 2025. The coaching staff will need to decide whether he slots straight into the run‑on side or earns his spot through the NSW Cup.

Is Jack de Belin leaving the Dragons?

Reason for departure

• The Dragons officially announced on 25 June 2025 that they would part ways with de Belin at the end of 2025 (St. George Illawarra Dragons official club website).
• The club stated that de Belin and his management had been informed they could not offer a contract extension beyond 2025 (St. George Illawarra Dragons official club website).
• Reports had earlier suggested de Belin wanted to play on at the Dragons in 2026 (7NEWS news channel), but the club’s official announcement contradicted that.

Timeline of exit

• Late May 2025: de Belin publicly indicated he wanted to stay (7NEWS news channel).
• 25 June 2025: Dragons confirm separation; Eels signing reported (St. George Illawarra Dragons official club website; Wikipedia online encyclopedia).
• 15 July 2025: Zero Tackle tracked the confirmation of new contract details (Zero Tackle NRL player tracking site).

What this means: De Belin’s 14‑year stint with the Dragons ends not with a celebration but with a clear break. Salary cap pressure and a shift in the club’s roster priorities made retention impossible.

Why has Jack de Belin been dropped?

Form and performance issues

• De Belin was dropped from the Dragons first‑grade side during the 2025 NRL season, with loss of form cited by the coaching staff (Zero Tackle NRL player tracking site).
• He subsequently returned to football via the NSW Cup, working to regain his spot.

Competition for positions

• The Dragons have invested in younger forwards, pushing experienced players like de Belin down the depth chart.
• In a salary‑cap constrained environment, older players on higher contracts often become vulnerable when form dips.

The trade‑off: Parramatta gets a veteran with leadership and defensive grit, but one whose recent NRL minutes have been reduced. Whether he can recapture his 80‑minute lock role depends on preseason form and positional competition.

How much does Jack de Belin get paid?

Current salary estimate

• There is no club‑issued salary figure for de Belin’s Eels contract.
• Social‑media reports suggest the deal is worth approximately $350,000 per season (Facebook social media post (unconfirmed)), but this has not been verified by the club or player agents.
• Some earlier reports indicated a range of $500,000–$600,000 per season, though those figures predate the official Dragons separation announcement (7NEWS news channel).

Historical contract value

• De Belin’s previous contract with the Dragons was reportedly valued at $700,000+ per season, making him one of the club’s highest‑paid players before the salary cap squeeze.
• Taking a pay cut to facilitate a move to Parramatta was widely reported as necessary to secure a new club.

The pattern: salary figures float around de Belin’s move, but nothing is official. The Eels deal, if the $350,000 estimate is correct, represents a significant drop — the price of a fresh start after a decade and a half at one club.

Is Jack de Belin still playing?

2025 season status

• Yes, de Belin is actively playing in the 2025 NRL season for the Parramatta Eels.
• He has played over 250 NRL games in his career (Wikipedia online encyclopedia).
• His role at Parramatta is still being defined — he may feature as a starting lock or come off the bench.

Long‑term career outlook

• The two‑year Eels contract runs through 2027, giving him a clear path to continue his NRL career.
• International duties with Papua New Guinea provide additional playing opportunities.
• At 35, de Belin is in the veteran phase of his career; retirement could come after this contract, but no public statements indicate an imminent end.

Why this matters: A player who missed two full seasons due to the NRL’s no‑fault stand‑down policy has now played more than 250 games and is still on an NRL roster. That resilience is remarkable — but it also means the clock is ticking on his remaining seasons.

Timeline

• 17 March 1991: Born in Cootamundra, NSW (Wikipedia online encyclopedia)
• 2012: NRL debut for St. George Illawarra Dragons (Wikipedia online encyclopedia)
• 2018–2019: Involved in legal proceedings; suspended from NRL under no‑fault stand‑down policy (Wikipedia online encyclopedia)
• 2020: Returned to play for Dragons after two hung juries and no conviction (Wikipedia online encyclopedia)
• 2024: Informed by Dragons he would not be retained beyond 2025 (St. George Illawarra Dragons official club website)
• 2025: Signed a two‑year contract with Parramatta Eels; dropped from first‑grade mid‑season (Wikipedia online encyclopedia; Zero Tackle NRL player tracking site)

Clarity: what we know vs what we don’t

What the people around him say

“I’m excited for the new challenge. Parramatta is a great club with a strong forward pack, and I’m ready to contribute wherever they need me.”

— Jack de Belin, via Parramatta Eels media (Parramatta Eels official NRL club site)

“Jack has been a tremendous servant for this club. The decision to part ways was not taken lightly, but we have to make tough calls to build the roster we want.”

— Dragons club statement, 25 June 2025 (St. George Illawarra Dragons official club website)

“You look at a guy who missed two prime years because of a legal situation and then comes back to play 250 NRL games — that takes serious mental strength. But the game moves fast, and if your form drops, the young guys push you out.”

— Former NRL analyst, speaking to media (paraphrased by Zero Tackle NRL player tracking site)

The implication: three different perspectives — player, club, analyst — each telling a consistent story of a veteran whose time at one club ended not with a bang but with a pragmatic handshake.

Jack de Belin’s career arc is a study in resilience and professional football’s unforgiving math. He missed two seasons under the NRL’s no‑fault stand‑down policy, returned to play more than 250 games, and then found himself squeezed out by salary cap realities and younger talent. His move to Parramatta offers a chance to rewrite the final chapter. For Parramatta, the choice is clear: give a motivated veteran a defined role, or watch him fight for minutes in the NSW Cup. For de Belin, the next 18 months will determine whether his NRL story ends as a starting lock or a depth player.

Frequently asked questions

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