Ben Barba suspended indefinitely

[susan]

thanks Tookey.You are right about some old school justice.In the old days if a kid was causing trouble on the street the local cop gave him a clip behind the ears and then took him home to his father and he did the same.Might be old school but kids had respect for elders back then and didn't swarm the streets in packs.The local Palm beach mob up here can consist of 100 young dickheads or more patrolling the street and the cops cant get within a metre of them without reams of paperwork.

I know two coppers there, one would love nothing more than to walk along GC hwy tasering the feral bastards. The other, is an unbelievably tolerant man, who has (and needs) the patience of a saint. How either of them keep rocking up to work is beyond me. The absolute hate the youth have got for the cops up here is staggering.

Agree wholeheartedly.My brother has done 25 years on the streets up here as a detective and has had a gutful of the **** that goes unanswered .Between the hopped up kids and the bikie filth there are plenty of ways to get disillusioned.

Having said that it is generally a great place to be if you aren't a cop-the standard locals just don't go east of the highway in surfers or hang around Palmy at night.Like most places it has its no go zones.The most disappointing element is seeing the lack of any respect by so many kids these days.

 

[Rex]

THE Bulldogs have strongly denied the hottest rumour in rugby league that drugs were behind the suspension of superstar fullback Ben Barba. Chief executive Todd Greenberg insists the Dally M champion has not returned a positive test.

"Neither recreational nor performance-enhancing drugs had anything to do with it," Greenberg told me. "We've heard all the rumours, too, but we made the decision to stand Ben down on other issues."

The Bulldogs conducted 140 in-house drug tests last year on NRL and NYC players. ASADA did another 60 tests at the club during the year, both during and out of competition.

Barba's gambling problems would come as no surprise to regular readers of this column.

Since late last year we've reported how he has been spotted from Caringbah to Harbord, playing the pokies and betting on the TAB.

There is still no real indication when the champion fullback will be fit to return and the club will be strictly guided by medical advice.

He has spent the week undergoing specialist treatment at a rehabilitation clinic.
________________________________________________

I think the 'rumours' are spot on. Greenberg hasn't denied them, only indicated that the rumoured problem wasn't (a) detected by a test, or (b) the reason why the Dogs stood him down.

Greenberg has dodged the matter by using some lesser issue as a stand-down offence, but the clinic stay is a bit of a give away as to why Ben is off the scene.

The willingness for the NRL to appear hands-off on this matter would indicate to me that we are not going to see Barba back into the game anytime soon, if at all. Drug use is a 2-year ban and the (new) NRL isn't going to put their own credibility on the line to protect a single person. Given Barba's vulnerability it's all in the timing.

Interesting speculative scenario.


If you followed this line of thought through, I wonder what could possibly flush this sort of thing out into the open right about now?


And given that criminal convictions based on drug testing (there is no police action here, no positive drug tests here) have proven totally ineffective should the authorities sit on their hands and hush up what they are seeing?


Maybe you should speak to Julia about your concerns and what she should do? 🙂

 

[Napper]

Which all seemed to that Brett had rapped that girl? And what was the actual truth?

I had 3 beers and i caught a mother****in cab. The taxi driver just put it on my tab, there was a young girl who made a false accusation, little did i know her dad had a sneaky operation, the cops took me in i was innocent you feel me? And in court the jury said i was NOT MOTHER****IN GUILTY!!

Is that what he rapped that girl with???

 

[Matabele]

thanks Tookey.You are right about some old school justice.In the old days if a kid was causing trouble on the street the local cop gave him a clip behind the ears and then took him home to his father and he did the same.Might be old school but kids had respect for elders back then and didn't swarm the streets in packs.The local Palm beach mob up here can consist of 100 young dickheads or more patrolling the street and the cops cant get within a metre of them without reams of paperwork.

I know two coppers there, one would love nothing more than to walk along GC hwy tasering the feral bastards. The other, is an unbelievably tolerant man, who has (and needs) the patience of a saint. How either of them keep rocking up to work is beyond me. The absolute hate the youth have got for the cops up here is staggering.

Agree wholeheartedly.My brother has done 25 years on the streets up here as a detective and has had a gutful of the s**t that goes unanswered .Between the hopped up kids and the bikie filth there are plenty of ways to get disillusioned.

Having said that it is generally a great place to be if you aren't a cop-the standard locals just don't go east of the highway in surfers or hang around Palmy at night.Like most places it has its no go zones.The most disappointing element is seeing the lack of any respect by so many kids these days.

We host 20,000 kids at our facility each year and in the main they are committed,polite, hard working, enthusiastic - the list cold go on. Don't tar them all with one brush for the sake of a few idiots.

 

[Earnie the Eagle]

It wouldnt suprise me if Barba moved to the Cowboys, it would get him closer to his family and children.

Greenturd has said he puts the player first so lets see if he really does, after all they are supposed to be the family club arn't they?

 

[Hamster Huey]

THE Bulldogs have strongly denied the hottest rumour in rugby league that drugs were behind the suspension of superstar fullback Ben Barba. Chief executive Todd Greenberg insists the Dally M champion has not returned a positive test.

"Neither recreational nor performance-enhancing drugs had anything to do with it," Greenberg told me. "We've heard all the rumours, too, but we made the decision to stand Ben down on other issues."

The Bulldogs conducted 140 in-house drug tests last year on NRL and NYC players. ASADA did another 60 tests at the club during the year, both during and out of competition.

Barba's gambling problems would come as no surprise to regular readers of this column.

Since late last year we've reported how he has been spotted from Caringbah to Harbord, playing the pokies and betting on the TAB.

There is still no real indication when the champion fullback will be fit to return and the club will be strictly guided by medical advice.

He has spent the week undergoing specialist treatment at a rehabilitation clinic.
________________________________________________

I think the 'rumours' are spot on. Greenberg hasn't denied them, only indicated that the rumoured problem wasn't (a) detected by a test, or (b) the reason why the Dogs stood him down.

Greenberg has dodged the matter by using some lesser issue as a stand-down offence, but the clinic stay is a bit of a give away as to why Ben is off the scene.

The willingness for the NRL to appear hands-off on this matter would indicate to me that we are not going to see Barba back into the game anytime soon, if at all. Drug use is a 2-year ban and the (new) NRL isn't going to put their own credibility on the line to protect a single person. Given Barba's vulnerability it's all in the timing.

Interesting speculative scenario.


If you followed this line of thought through, I wonder what could possibly flush this sort of thing out into the open right about now?


And given that criminal convictions based on drug testing (there is no police action here, no positive drug tests here) have proven totally ineffective should the authorities sit on their hands and hush up what they are seeing?


Maybe you should speak to Julia about your concerns and what she should do? 🙂

One regular NRL player with a recent history of serious off-field issues, waits a few weeks after the brief and in the meantime played in the All-Stars....yeah, this is really a case of that working. :dodgy:

There are very, very few bothering to connect the Barba issue with our previous discussion, for very good reason.

 

[Matabele]

In today's Sunday Mail columnist Mike Colman questions Greenburg's altruistic treatment of Barba and suggests the real truth of the situation is yet to emerge. A very shrewd article.

 

[MissKate]

The Bulldogs have already said it's not a matter for the Police.

Why can't people just believe the guy has alcohol and gambling issues compounded by the fact he's lost his family and quite possibly suffering from depression? Why does it have to be so f**king sinister?

Because it is hard to believe a club would suspend their best player for an alcohol and gambling problem. Also if they really had his best interests at heart, they wouldn't have made such a huge and public issue of it. It all just doesn't seem to ring true.

 

[wombatgc]

Which all seemed to that Brett had rapped that girl? And what was the actual truth?

I had 3 beers and i caught a mother****in cab. The taxi driver just put it on my tab, there was a young girl who made a false accusation, little did i know her dad had a sneaky operation, the cops took me in i was innocent you feel me? And in court the jury said i was NOT MOTHER****IN GUILTY!!

Is that what he rapped that girl with???

That's gold Napper. I've got the Hilltop Hoods on in the background and it fit perfectly to hard road (some irony in that song title when you think of Brett🙁)

 

[lsz]

Can i blame auto correct?

 

[Hamster Huey]

Can i blame auto correct?

Yes. But will we believe you???

 

[Rex]

One regular NRL player with a recent history of serious off-field issues, waits a few weeks after the brief and in the meantime played in the All-Stars....yeah, this is really a case of that working. :dodgy:

There are very, very few bothering to connect the Barba issue with our previous discussion, for very good reason.

Connections too subtle?

Seems you conclude usage without any convictable evidence.

 

[lsz]

No reason too...grasping at straws!

 

[Jatz Crackers]

We host 20,000 kids at our facility each year and in the main they are committed,polite, hard working, enthusiastic - the list cold go on. Don't tar them all with one brush for the sake of a few idiots.

Is this facility surrounded by fencing & razor wire by any chance ?

 

[Hamster Huey]

One regular NRL player with a recent history of serious off-field issues, waits a few weeks after the brief and in the meantime played in the All-Stars....yeah, this is really a case of that working. :dodgy:

There are very, very few bothering to connect the Barba issue with our previous discussion, for very good reason.

Connections too subtle?

Seems you conclude usage without any convictable evidence.

Keep drawing those long bows in this case.

 

[Stevo]

The Bulldogs have already said it's not a matter for the Police.

Why can't people just believe the guy has alcohol and gambling issues compounded by the fact he's lost his family and quite possibly suffering from depression? Why does it have to be so f**king sinister?

Because it is hard to believe a club would suspend their best player for an alcohol and gambling problem. Also if they really had his best interests at heart, they wouldn't have made such a huge and public issue of it. It all just doesn't seem to ring true.

Ever suffered from depression or been around someone who has? The fact that the bloke couldn't finish a football game points to the fact that depression is his biggest problem. Are the bulldogs actually using the word suspension or is that just something the media have run with? I would suggest stood down would be more accurate.

 

[master blaster]

I know how we are all big fans of Mundine,lol,but he brought up an interesting point in a Q&A interview on the Fox sports website,here is part of what he said when he was asked about Barba.............He's a gun. He's just got to get his head right. I feel the club and the NRL dealt with it in not the right manner. It was turned into a media circus.

It could have been kept in-house. I hope they're not using him as a guinea pig and PR stunt to show they're a nice club. I thought Canterbury were better than that..... mmm PR stunt eh,wouldnt put anything past Greenburg

 

[bones]

The Bulldogs have already said it's not a matter for the Police.

Why can't people just believe the guy has alcohol and gambling issues compounded by the fact he's lost his family and quite possibly suffering from depression? Why does it have to be so f**king sinister?

Because it is hard to believe a club would suspend their best player for an alcohol and gambling problem. Also if they really had his best interests at heart, they wouldn't have made such a huge and public issue of it. It all just doesn't seem to ring true.

Ever suffered from depression or been around someone who has? The fact that the bloke couldn't finish a football game points to the fact that depression is his biggest problem. Are the bulldogs actually using the word suspension or is that just something the media have run with? I would suggest stood down would be more accurate.

The smile on his face and the form he showed in the All Stars match just one week earlier contradicts this.

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

The Bulldogs have already said it's not a matter for the Police.

Why can't people just believe the guy has alcohol and gambling issues compounded by the fact he's lost his family and quite possibly suffering from depression? Why does it have to be so f**king sinister?

Because it is hard to believe a club would suspend their best player for an alcohol and gambling problem. Also if they really had his best interests at heart, they wouldn't have made such a huge and public issue of it. It all just doesn't seem to ring true.

Ever suffered from depression or been around someone who has? The fact that the bloke couldn't finish a football game points to the fact that depression is his biggest problem. Are the bulldogs actually using the word suspension or is that just something the media have run with? I would suggest stood down would be more accurate.

The smile on his face and the form he showed in the All Stars match just one week earlier contradicts this.

The smile and stuff doesn't really mean anything in regards to depression

We were playing cricket last weekend, playing against an up and coming player who was struggling a bit but battling away, was having a joke with him inbetween overs, and then an over or 2 later our bowler sledged him and he just broke down and left the field crying.

Depression is a strange creature

 

[bones]

The Bulldogs have already said it's not a matter for the Police.

Why can't people just believe the guy has alcohol and gambling issues compounded by the fact he's lost his family and quite possibly suffering from depression? Why does it have to be so f**king sinister?

Because it is hard to believe a club would suspend their best player for an alcohol and gambling problem. Also if they really had his best interests at heart, they wouldn't have made such a huge and public issue of it. It all just doesn't seem to ring true.

Ever suffered from depression or been around someone who has? The fact that the bloke couldn't finish a football game points to the fact that depression is his biggest problem. Are the bulldogs actually using the word suspension or is that just something the media have run with? I would suggest stood down would be more accurate.

The smile on his face and the form he showed in the All Stars match just one week earlier contradicts this.

The smile and stuff doesn't really mean anything in regards to depression

We were playing cricket last weekend, playing against an up and coming player who was struggling a bit but battling away, was having a joke with him inbetween overs, and then an over or 2 later our bowler sledged him and he just broke down and left the field crying.

Depression is a strange creature

Fair point. Barba's problems are more than depression though, as he is in a drug and alcohol rehab clinic.