THE NRL Integrity Unit has blocked the first grade debut of Manly youngster Jamil Hopoate, declaring he needs to rehabilitate further following a stint in jail before a contract will be registered.

Hopoate, the son of controversial former Sea Eagles star John and brother of Bulldogs fullback Will, had been in line to come into an injury ravaged Manly backline against Penrith on Sunday, but the NRL is understood to have scuppered the move earlier this week.

The 21-year-old junior star linked again with Manly last month after serving nine months in prison of an 18-month sentence for two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in company in 2014.

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Father John took to social media on Wednesday evening lamenting the decision and the NRL confirmed its ruling on Thursday.

“The NRL has required Jamil undertake a range of rehabilitation work before it will consider registering his contract,” an NRL spokesman told foxsports.com.au.

“That rehabilitation has not yet been undertaken.”

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Manly coach Trent Barrett told the press his club had no issue with any ruling from the NRL around its players eligibility on disciplinary grounds, with a similar issue also affecting recently signed ex-Rooster Willis Meehan in recent weeks.

“Jamil, he’s eligible for NSW Cup but not eligible to play NRL,” Barrett said.

“I’m not too sure of the details around that. Rules are rules and we’ll abide by them. We’ll field a strong side on Sunday.

“The integrity commission’s got rules. We stick to them. When our players are all OK to play, we’ll play them. If not we’ll abide by the rules and do just that.”

A promising local junior, Jamil Hopoate had his contract with Manly torn up in 2014 after the then Sea Eagles under 20s player and a group of friends punched and kicked a man, rendering him unconscious outside the Ivanhoe Hotel on the northern beaches.

Hopoate had previously rejoined the club after being booted from Parramatta following a drink-driving conviction and a disciplinary incident at an NRL rookie camp.

Having served his time, Hopoate has spoken of his stint in jail as a “wake up call” that helped turn his life around.

The damaging back-rower began his return to rugby league in May this year and after impressive performances in the local A grade competition forced his way into Manly’s NSW Cup side.

He scored two tries in last week’s reserve grade loss to Newtown and had been slated to come into Barrett’s 17 for NSW Origin star Dylan Walker, who continues to struggle with a shoulder injury.

Earlier this year Manly and the NRL were involved in a tense stand-off over John’s involvement as coach of the club’s SG Ball side.

Hopoate’s career as a junior coach has since been all but canned after he dropped a Supreme Court case appealing an NRL ban, imposed after the governing body was advised by a NSW police force detective that he was not a ‘fit and proper person’ to mentor teens.

Hopoate senior posted on Facebook on Wednesday evening: “So my son Jamil misses out on debuting for the Eagles this week cause the NRL integrity unit said he’s not allowed. He’s done he’s (sic) time so let the play and let’s move on ...”

The head office’s stance comes as Cronulla’s Andrew Fifita faces scrutiny over a police warning for consorting with criminals.

Fifita won’t be stood down from the Sharks blockbuster minor-premiership showdown with the Storm for what CEO Lyall Gorman says is concern around Fifita’s relationship with a long-time friend currently in jail.

The Sharks and NSW Origin front-rower is the fourth NRL player to be issued a consorting warning by authorities this season, while ongoing investigations into alleged match-fixing and criminal connections within the game continue.

This writer is on Twitter: @dan_walsh64

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