‘Ben Barba is ill and he needs help’: Canterbury Bulldogs poster boy may be out of game for six months according to this morning’s Sydney Morning Herald
The NRL’s 2012 player of the year Ben Barba won’t play in the Bulldogs opening round clash against North Queensland and his long term future is uncertain after being stood down over behavioural issues relating to a break-up with his long time partner.
Canterbury chief executive Todd Greenberg would not put a time frame on when Barba was expected to resume playing, telling a press conference: ‘‘It could be six weeks, it could be six months’’.
Greenberg said. ‘‘What we are trying to do is put support services around him and people around him to help him individually off the field.
‘‘That is the sort of club we are, we help ours when they need it, but he needs to take a big step up here and if he doesn’t take that step up he won’t play. Barba starred for the Indigenous All Stars earlier this month.
‘‘If he helps himself he will be a Bulldogs player for a long time but he needs to help himself.’’
State of Mind would like to wish Ben all the very best wishes to help him get back on to the pitch and feel good away from the game