The NSW Rugby League has denied de-registered former Dragons five-eighth Talatau Amone's bid to return to community rugby league, but has left the door ajar for a possible return later this season.
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Amone was de-registered by the NRL after being found guilty of multiple assault charges relating to an attack on a roofing contractor near Amone's Warrawong home in November 2023.
The 21-year-old will appeal the conviction that saw him sentenced to a two-year intensive correction order and 300 hours of community service, with an appeal date set for April 5.
His junior club Wests sought to register a contract via the NSWRL to see the Devils product return to the game via the Illawarra first grade competition this season.
The matter was considered at a NSWRL board meeting on Monday, with the board refusing to register a contract until Amone has completed his 300 hours of community service.
The knock back comes with an undertaking to revisit the matter if and when Amone completes his hours of community service.
Illawarra Rugby League head of football Brent Pigram said the IDRL board has backed the decision to deny Amone's bid for an immediate return.
"As soon as the NRL deregistered the contract for integrity issues, it has to go to the next governing body in the competition that a player wants to play in," Pigram said.
"In this case that's the New South Wales Rugby League. Wests submitted an application to have his registration for the 2024 season reviewed.
"I facilitated that and pushed it up to the NSW Rugby League board. The board considered it over the weekend just gone and made the decision that they won't support him participating at this stage.
"They'll revisit that once his community service hours are up. My understanding is he's up to 30-35 hours at the moment in that process.
"Speaking to the club yesterday, depending on how how much he can get done in the next eight to 10 weeks, I'd say that'd be a rough time frame on when they'll revisit that application."
The Steelers product has been training with renowned sprint coach Roger Fabri in an effort to stay in shape for a rugby league return.
He will now look to make it back into the park at the back end of 2024, with Pigram saying the board's decision does not amount to the end of the matter.
"It's definitely not closing the door on his rugby league career," Pigram said.
"The position was that, while that [community service order] is hanging over his head, the board felt it was not in the best interests of the game as a whole to have him playing rugby league.
"That is why they'll revisit it, because it just shows his intent to try and resolve it as well and gives him a bit of a target to hit to [be able to] play rugby league.
"It's a way for the board to have a look at it again once he's done those hours and shown that commitment.
"It's a position fully supported by the Illawarra Rugby League chairman and the (IDRL) board and the Steelers Club."
It's understood Wests will help facilitate Amone's community service work in order to see him make it back onto the field this season, with kickoff set for April 20.
"I would like to thank the Wests club because they've been very good and patient," Pigram said.
"We've been going through this process and they've been very respectful of that, so that's been great.
"Peter (first grade coach Pete McLeod) has been really good to deal with and understands everything, so that's been very helpful."
There have been a number precedents when it comes to deregistered NRL players returning to grass roots football in recent times.
NRL centre-cum-boxer Curtis Scott was cleared to play for Thirlmere Roosters in the Macarthur competition last season despite being sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order in October 22 after being found guilty of assaulting his former partner.
Scott was found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault and stalk or intimidate with the intention of causing fear or physical harm, with a subsequent appeal rejected in July last year.
Scott's bid for an NRL return was knocked back in December, with the 26-year-old turning his hand to boxing with a second-round knockout of Joey Leilua in Wollongong on Wednesday night.
Mitch Jennings
Sports writer. Sport is my passion, rugby league my first love.
Sports writer. Sport is my passion, rugby league my first love.
