The NRL confirmed on Thursday they will register the forward's new contract with the club when the sexual assault charges against him are officially dropped on Friday.

De Belin has not stepped on to the field since 2018 after the NRL introduced their no-fault stand-down policy following his arrest.

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The Dragons were frustrated by the manner the rules were implemented on the run, the NRL scrambling to protect their image after a string of off-field indiscretions including the arrest, and subsequent conviction, of Jarryd Hayne.

As a result, St George Illawarra were required to navigate uncharted waters that included determining how de Belin would be paid, how the stand down would impact the salary cap and whether he would remain with the squad.

McGregor stood by de Belin throughout his final two seasons in charge of the Dragons, maintaining it was not his role to determine the forward's guilt or innocence.

That led to the constant presence of the former NSW representative at training, a presence many at the club concede was a distraction.

Current coach Anthony Griffin took a different approach, moving the forward to the NSW Cup training squad.

Should the charges be officially dropped as expected on Friday, de Belin is set to return through reserve grade on Saturday afternoon.

While not wanting to comment on the court case, McGregor said the entire situation could have been better handled by the NRL.

"As a leader, my role is to support those within my care," McGregor said. "In this instance, that meant focusing on Jack's wellbeing and letting the justice system resolve the situation in the courts.

"The NRL has the power to make decisions for the betterment of the game, but with this policy they were making decisions for our club and they did not provide support for the club. The process regarding the stand down rule wasn't suitable."

The Dragons were required to pay de Belin's wages while they were eventually granted salary cap dispensation to sign a replacement.

The uncertain nature of the court proceedings made the club's attempts to recruit a new player challenging, St George Illawarra unsure exactly how long the forward would be on the sidelines.

McGregor called for the league to take greater control of the policy, including covering the wages of any players stood down and providing salary cap relief throughout their absence.

NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo was quizzed about the matter on Thursday and stood by the organisation's approach.

"We make no apologies for taking the strongest stance in Australian sport with our no-fault stand-down policy," Abdo said. "The commission was clear when they introduced this rule that it's to act in the best interests of the game and to protect the game.

"In this particular case, the no-fault stand-down policy has operated as it's intended. Jack de Belin has continued to be employed by the Dragons during this period and has continued to receive support from the club."