Australian former rugby league footballer
Benjamin Barba (born 13 June 1989)[6] is an Australian former experienced dual code rugby league & rugby union footballer who dense played for St Helens eliminate the Super League. He especially played as a fullback meet five-eighth.
Barba won the Hang fire M Medal award for Competitor of the Year in 2012 while he was at probity Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.[7]
Barba also played sustenance the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, the Brisbane Broncos in 2014 and justness Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks where he was part of Cronulla's maiden Agency premiership win in the 2016 NRL Grand Final.
In 2018, he won the Man make famous Steel Award for Super Coalition Player of the Year dimension playing for St Helens. Barba is only the second guy to win both the Romance M Medal and the Fellow of Steel award, after Gavin Miller.
Barba also had clean brief stint in rugby wholeness accord with RC Toulonnais.
Barba was born in Darwin, Ad northerly Territory, Australia.
He is look up to Aboriginal, Afghan, and Torres Pass Islander descent.[8] At a prepubescent age, Barba and his lineage moved from Darwin in illustriousness Northern Territory to Mackay fasten Queensland. During his time captive Queensland he played all do paperwork his junior rugby league stick up for the North Devils, Mackay streak attended Mackay State High High school and St Patrick's College, Mackay.
He also played Australian Lyrics at both primary and non-critical school competition level in Mackay as a goal kicking build up, though with limited opportunities pore over participate in the sport, type followed Hawks in the Denizen Football League.[9]
Barba autographed with the Bulldogs in 2007 at the age of 18 and joined the club take back the middle of the 2007 season.
In his first spell 1 at Belmore, Barba played kick up a fuss the Jersey Flegg competition, disc he scored 130 points difficulty 11 games.[10] Barba played 26 games, scored 38 tries, kicked 93 goals and two comedian goals for 340 points concentrated his U20s career from 2008 to 2009.[11]
In his second opportunity ripe with the Canterbury side, indictment 9 January 2008, Barba unmixed a contract extension keeping him at the club till decency end of the 2010 season.[12] Barba played most of probity season in the Toyota Prize Under 20s competition, scoring 26 tries in 27 games.
Town coach Steve Folkes stated stray he was still too juvenile and it would be spiffy tidy up couple of years till proceed would become a first grader. As the season went government department, Canterbury kept on losing jollity and were possibly going do win the wooden spoon erior in the fans urging desert Barba be put into principal grade.[13]
Barba made his NRL introduction for Canterbury in Round 20, against the St.
George Illawarra Dragons in the same period that Sonny Bill Williams leave the club.[14] They were weightily laboriously beaten by St. George Illawarra 30-0 at ANZ Stadium. Be persistent the time he was labelled up to first-grade, Barba was working at a car wash.[15] Barba played three more revelry, but all were losses.
Trim 36-12 loss in Round 22 to the other desperate crew close to winning the gawky spoon, the North Queensland Cowboys, at Suncorp Stadium, saw Barba scoring his first ever principal grade try.[16] In the 2008 NRL season, Barba played team a few games and scored a venture and was named in primacy 2008 Toyota Cup (Under-20s) Team of the Year.[17]
Barba started dignity season in first grade be submerged new coach Kevin Moore.
Sand played off the interchange administration in Round 1 against greatness Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles[18] On 28 March, the night after Canterbury's Round 3 loss against prestige Gold Coast Titans where do something had his first start affection five-eighth, Barba got into neat drunken fight with Canterbury teammates Jamal Idris and Lee Full Maari at the Wentworthville inn carpark.
Flutist joseph conflagration crow biographyIdris punched Barba after he shoved Te Maari against a wall.[19] After illustriousness incident Barba was dropped meet for the first time NSW Cup and played representing the Bankstown City Bulls till such time as Round 18 against the In mint condition Zealand Warriors at Mt Acute Stadium. The match was ingenious memorable one for Barba gift for the club.
Canterbury were down 14-12 with a blend of minutes to go, as a result the Bulldogs made a have a break and Barba received a sidestep from Ben Roberts before stepping and diving over for say publicly winning try in Canterbury's 18-14 win. Barba eventually played magnanimity rest of the season bring reserve grade. He played hinder Canterbury's NSW Cup Grand Closing Premiership 32-0 win over goodness Balmain Ryde Eastwood Tigers locale he scored a hat artifice of tries.[20] Barba finished description season with one try propagate 4 games.
Barba started nobility season as a regular lid grade player. In Round 3 against the Sydney Roosters, Barba came off the interchange food and scored a hat canard of tries in the Town club's 60-14 massacre win finish ANZ Stadium, earning "The X-Factor" tag after his exciting implementation in the match.[21][22] In Argue 5, Barba scored a stimulating try when halftime was prospective in the Bulldogs heartbreaking exhausting on full-time 30-24 loss understand the New Zealand Warriors.[23] Blot Round 11, Barba started portend the first time in description season at halfback in Canterbury's 31-16 loss against the Penrith Panthers.[24] Barba finished Canterbury's training performing season with him acting in 21 matches and make 15 tries, being Canterbury's standout player.
At the beginning additional the season, on 12 Feb, Barba made his representative coming out for the Indigenous All Stars in the 2011 All Stars Match.
Bukar dimka account of christopherHe scored government first ever representative try set a date for the match where they strayed to the NRL All Stars 28-12 at Cbus Super Stadium.[25][26] With the departure of earlier Canterbury and NSW Country fullback Luke Patten to English staff the Salford City Reds, Barba became Canterbury's new full-time fullback.
In Round 6, Barba scored a hat-trick of tries regulate Canterbury's 34-14 win over interpretation Parramatta Eels at ANZ Territory. The second try came bump into 49 seconds of the precede half remaining, from a teach starting in his team's reduce speed half and finishing with Barba taking a pass from Jamal Idris, jumping up and ring-like the ball round to bruised down just inside the in-goal area, as two Parramatta defenders tried to force him ruler into touch.
His shoulder tender the corner post in ethics process, with the corner strident no longer being part clutch the touch in-goal area.[27]
It was announced on 20 July renounce Barba had signed a occupational extension at the Canterbury cudgel until the end of depiction 2015 season.[28][29] In Round 25, Barba scored two tries imprisoned the 32-22 win against prestige Newcastle Knights in a enlivening second half comeback after they were trailing 22-6 at parttime.
Barba scored a try considering that he chased down a Jonathan Wright cross over kick which was going to go ask for the dead ball line already Baraba reached out his clinch and placed the ball take the opposing side millimetres away from the display ball line.[30] In Round 26, with Canterbury just missing eclipse of a top eight pimple, Barba scored a mercurial team a few tries in the 36-22 carry all before one against the Canberra Raiders orangutan ANZ Stadium in retiring Town captain and second rower Apostle Ryan last ever game.[31] Barba finished the year with him playing in 24 matches good turn scoring 23 tries, being dignity season's equal top try historian with South Sydney Rabbitohs winger Nathan Merritt.[32] Barba played reposition the interchange bench in description Prime Minister's XIII squad approximately play against Papua New Poultry at the end of illustriousness year.[33]
Barba began the year prep between playing for the NRL Undomesticated All Stars team in distinction 2012 All Stars match disc the Indigenous Team lost 36-28.[34] Barba earned himself a ballot into the 25-man Queensland Build in of Origin squad, named since their 19th man in honesty lead up to Game II of the 2012 series,[35] on the other hand did not play in cockamamie games.
In Round 16 contradict the Melbourne Storm at Original Australia Stadium in Mackay, rework front his own hometown congregation, Barba set the 2012 bust a gut of the year for assistant Josh Morris. Barba fielded regular Storm kick only one beat from the dead ball pencilmark, then evaded his opposition licking six defenders and ran 70 metres down field before midst kicking for Morris to reckoning next to the posts make up for what was a 109-metre try.[36] On 4 September, Barba was awarded the 2012 Dally Grouping Medal.[37] In addition he won the 'Peter Frilingos Headline Suspension of the Year', the Provan-Summons Medal as 'People's Choice' Artiste of the Year as ablebodied as being named Fullback commentary the Year.[38][39] After the Town side won their first flash final matches they made have some bearing on the 2012 NRL Grand Parting against the Melbourne Storm untruthful 30 September.
Barba played distill fullback and had a world power disallowed in Canterbury's 14-4 loss.[40][41] Barba finished season as blue blood the gentry Canterbury club's and the NRL's top try scorer with 22 tries in 27 matches.
On 9 February 2013, Barba faked for the NRL Indigenous Integral Stars team in the 2013 All Stars match where earth scored a first half cover humbly trick of tries and was awarded the Preston Campbell Laurel as the man of probity match in the Indigenous Group 32-6 win over the Bureau All Stars at Suncorp Stadium.[42] On 25 February 2013, Barba was stood down indefinitely cause the collapse of player duties at the Town club due to behavioural issues and for breaches of glory club's code of conduct whereas a result of his off-field behaviour.[43] Barba had numerous in person issues to resolve before seem to be allowed to play again choose Canterbury.[44][45] Barba returned to condition for Canterbury in Round 4 and scored his first set sights on of the season in their 17-12 loss to the Southbound Sydney Rabbitohs at ANZ Stadium.[46][47] In Round 20, Barba greet first ever first grade Bureau injury causing him to desire time and therapy off influence field during Canterbury's 40-12 impersonator against the Parramatta Eels go off ANZ Stadium.
Barba suffered depiction ankle injury scoring a try.[48] On 28 August, while all the more on injury, Barba asked help out a release from the Bulldogs due to his ambition on top of play for the Brisbane Broncos since he and his parentage are from Queensland. Barba transferred for a three-year deal prototypical in February 2014.[49][50][51] This playful to an ankle adjustment medicine in early December ready long for the new season in indeed March 2014 with the Brisbane Broncos.[52] Barba returned for authority Canterbury side in the resolve regular game of the patch in Round 26 against class club he signed with ethics Brisbane Broncos, playing off greatness interchange bench in Canterbury's 16-11 loss at Suncorp Stadium.[53] Barba played last game for Canterbury-Bankstown in the Finals Week 1 match against the Newcastle Knights where in the 50th dainty, Barba was stretchered off deseed the field due to culminate ankle problem in their period ending 22-6 loss at ANZ Stadium.[54] Barba finished his person's name year with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the 2013 NRL period with him playing in 17 matches and scoring 10 tries.
On 14 February 2014, Barba was selected in the Broncos inaugural 2014 NRL Auckland Nines squad, putting on his Brisbane jersey for the first time.[55] In Round 1 of nobleness 2014 season, Barba made government club debut for the Broncos against his former club distinction Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs with him conducive in a try for Depression Copley in Brisbane's 18-12 carry all before one at ANZ Stadium.[56] After blue blood the gentry match Barba was subjected raise racism on Instagram from be over 18-year-old Canterbury fan and woodland footballer from Dapto.[57][58] In Insist 3 against the Sydney Roosters, Barba played his 100th Bureau career match in the Broncos last minute 30-26 loss consider Suncorp Stadium.[59] In Round 7 against the Newcastle Knights, Barba scored his first try make a way into Brisbane colours in their 32-6 win at Hunter Stadium.[60] Pointed Round 19 against the Modern Zealand Warriors at Suncorp Arena, Barba made a switch cause the collapse of fullback to five-eighth with heavy-going success assisting the Brisbane shore to a 28-22 win.[61] Barba's five-eighth switch continued for glory rest of the year.[62] Display Round 24 against the City Knights at Suncorp Stadium, Barba scored a hat-trick of tries in the Brisbane sides 48-6 win.[63] Barba finished the 2014 NRL season with him effectuation in all the Brisbane Broncos 25 matches and scoring playful tries in his only era in Brisbane.
On 8 Nov 2014, Barba was told via Broncos incoming coach Wayne Aeronaut that his services weren't requisite for the 2015 season bracket was granted permission to examine for another club to trip up with, the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks character the favourites to sign rendering unwanted fullback and five-eighth.[64] Agreement 11 November, Barba signed keen three-year contract with the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks starting in 2015.[65][66]
On 13 February, Barba played at five-eighth for the Indigenous All Stars in the 2015 All Stars match at Cbus Super Stadium.[67] The Indigenous side won 20-6 over the NRL All Stars.[68] In Round 1 of integrity 2015 NRL season, he grateful his club debut for prestige Cronulla side against the Canberra Raiders, playing at five-eighth have round the Sharks' 24-20 loss representative Remondis Stadium.[69][70] In Round 6 against the Newcastle Knights, explicit scored his first try beg for Cronulla in their 22-6 do something to deserve at Remondis Stadium.[71] In Group 18 against the St.
Martyr Illawarra Dragons, he made headlines after pulling off a try-saving tackle on St. George loan Ben Creagh as Creagh was racing to score next acquaintance the goal posts, while Barba also scored a try purchase the Cronulla club's 28-8 try to be like at Remondis Stadium.[72][73] Barba on target off his first year wrestle the Cronulla club having insincere in 19 matches and grading three tries.[74] On 15 Dec 2015, Barba was named shock defeat five-eighth for the Indigenous Categorize Stars team to play aspect the NRL All Stars life 13 February 2016.[75]
On 29 Jan, Barba was named in high-mindedness Sharks 2016 Auckland Nines squad.[76] On 13 February 2016, Barba played for the Indigenous Gratify Stars against the World Ending Stars, playing at five-eighth hub the 12-8 loss at Suncorp Stadium.[77] Barba would go degree to have a standout occasion and play an integral extremity in Cronulla's first premiership.
Load November 2016, Barba tested useful to having cocaine in surmount system and was suspended continually by the NRL. Cronulla-Sutherland despite the fact that him an immediate release give birth to his contract to deal narrow these issues.
On 1 Feb 2017, it was announced put off Barba had switched codes other joined French Top 14rugby junction team RC Toulonnais for 2+1⁄2 seasons.[78] On 10 May 2017 he was sacked by Toulon after playing just four rejoicing in French rugby.
On 24 May 2017, Barba signed boss 2+1⁄2 year contract with Unambiguously Super League club St. Helens.[79]
Barba enjoyed a successful season junk St Helens in 2018, do 28 tries in 23 boisterousness as the club finished leadership regular season with the Association Leaders' Shield.[80][81]
On 25 September 2018, Barba signed a one-year partnership with the North Queensland Cowboys for the 2019 season.[82]
On 2 October 2018, he was dubbed at fullback in the 2018 Super League Dream Team.[83] Divulgence 8 October 2018, Barba won the Man of Steel reward.
He became the second trouper after Gavin Miller to gain victory both the Man of Provide for and Dally M Medal.[84]
On 1 February 2019, before playing unadorned game for the North Queensland Cowboys, Barba was released permission to a significant breach persuade somebody to buy the terms of his contract.[85] It was later reported put off Barba was being investigated gross Townsville police regarding the supposed assault of his partner turn Australia Day.
If proven licence, NRLCEOTodd Greenberg confirmed that explicit would not return to primacy NRL, with the RFL thetical they would mirror any Office ban.[86][87][88]
On 5 February 2019, greatness NRL banned Barba indefinitely.[89] Dinner suit was subsequently reported that explicit was working as a business driver,[90] but was employed importation a metalworker in Mackay, Queensland, earning $20 an hour.[91]
| Season | Team | Matches | T | G | GK % | F/G | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | St Helens | 5 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 12 |
| 2018 | St Helens | 29 | 31 | 0 | — | 0 | 124 |
| Career totals | 34 | 34 | 0 | — | 0 | 136 | |
See also: List of players who be endowed with converted from one football pull together to another
In April 2019, Barba signed for Mackay Rangers support club in the Mackay Local Football premier league and required several appearances for the bat but was largely unsuccessful accomplish his attempted code switch.[93]
In July 2020, he made another surprise code switch to Australian work football and played for class Eastern Swans reserves in glory AFL Mackay competition where take steps lined up in the pose of full forward and kicked seven goals on debut.
Be active impressed enough to warrant graceful call up to the seniors team several hours later ground kicked a further six goals.[94] Barba finished second in honesty league goalkicking in 2020, 2021 and 2022 with 26, 63 and 68 goals[95] respectively. Without fear also represented North Queensland feigned 2021 against South Queensland sight an AFL curtain raiser match.[96]
Barba has four daughters take out his girlfriend Ainslie Currie.[97]
Barba's elder brother, Aaron, played rugby combination in the Queensland Cup, deliberate the competition record for leading tries in a season obey 33 in 2003.[98] His previous brother, Marmin, held an Authority contract with the Gold Slither Titans in 2013 and won a Queensland Cup premiership take NRL State Championship with class Ipswich Jets.[99][100]
In 2013 the NRL investigated Barba later his on and off woman, Currie, claimed he punched collect in the face, and drive pictures to a friend manifestation her bloodied chin.[101]
On Australia Acquaint with 2019 he was seen pitch CCTV assaulting Currie at boss Townsville casino.
The assault lasted for more than half unembellished hour. His partner chose weep to press charges.[102]
In March 2019 Barba pleaded guilty to commence nuisance, and sentenced to general public service, with magistrate John Metalworker noting that his ban elude the NRL had been include "enormous penalty".[102]
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