De Belin was part of a seven-man middle-forward rotation in the Dragons' loss to Melbourne and made 38 tackles in his 49-minute stint. After being deployed mainly in the front row in recent years, de Belin said the arrival of genuine props like George Rose and Rory O'Brien has let him revert back to the customary role of defensive workhorse.

With a back injury expected to keep skipper Ben Creagh out of action for the next month - Kiwi winger Jason Nightingale will take over the captaincy - de Belin will likely be called on to shoulder an even heavier load and he's relishing the challenge.

"I think now we've got a bit of extra size there a few of the bigger boys won't be playing longer minutes which is good for myself and Trent [Merrin], who like to churn a few minutes out," de Belin said.

"I'm playing a bit lighter this year and I know my football will be a lot better for it.

"Knowing we have a few bigger boppers 120 [kilo] plus I don't need to be forever trying to put on weight. I can play at my natural weight of 102 kilos instead of being up at 107-108 where I'm not playing my best footy."

While it will likely take several rounds for McGregor to perfect the rotation, de Belin feels his new simplified role can help him find the consistency that has proved elusive in his 59-game career.

"It's first grade you should always be playing your best but there were times in the past when I was playing 20 minutes one week and then close to a full game the next," he said.

"Your body needs to get used to a certain style of play whether it's long minutes or short and sharp when you need to come on and give plenty of impact.

"I'm best suited to playing longer minutes and getting through a lot of work. I've always played that way and Mary understands that.

"It suits me and hopefully it suits the team as well."

De Belin took advantage of his lighter frame by hitting the mini-ramp with motocross legend Travis Pastrana and the Nitro Circus crew before their show at WIN Stadium on Saturday.

His prowess on the BMX impressed Pastrana but maybe not McGregor, who has lost one middle forward [Creagh] to injury this week.

"I don't think [McGregor] was too impressed," de Belin conceded.

"Mitchy Rein was out there on the skateboard and I was on the BMX. They were watching from the coaches' office up there and I don't think they were too happy."