Sidelined St George Illawarra player Jack de Belin is set to face trial in November on aggravated sexual assault charges after losing a legal challenge to his case.
De Belin and his co-accused Callan Sinclair sat calmly in Wollongong District Court this morning waiting to hear the decision of their appeal to stay the proceedings.
Judge Andrew Haesler said he was unable to reveal the details of his decision for legal reasons but copies would be provided to all lawyers involved.
The complicated pre-trial argument in the months leading to the decision involved many closed-court hearings and all evidence was suppressed.
Judge Haesler provided an explanatory note to the court in which he explained his decision.
"The court requests, or more strictly demands, the patience and forbearance of the public and the media in their compliance with pre-trial procedural non-publication requirements and the suppression orders made."
He said the anticipated start date of the trials was delayed by a pre-trial application of some complexity that required a considerable amount of oral and documentary evidence.
The judge explained some of that evidence related to matters over which an accused was entitled to claim legal professional privilege.
Both men remain on conditional bail and walked calmly from the court with their legal team; Sinclair was also supported by his parents.
The trial is set down to start on Monday, November 2.
The men have the right to appeal today's decision.
De Bellin was stood down under the NRL's no-fault stand-down policy in February after he was officially charged.
