Ben Barba suspended indefinitely

[Stevo]

Which came first though? The depression or the alcoholism?

 

[Chip and Chase]

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

Care to share the sledge ? must have been a good one. Either that or your in between overs jokes are terrible KE.

 

[Shoe1]

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

NZ cricket is in a bad way huh? Unlike the aussies...

 

[MadMarcus]

People should stop throwing rumours around.

Benji needs our support in his time of need.

 

[Rex]

Exactly, Benji needs to be treated as an individual. Someone special and totally unique. Like the other 7,069,897,567 of us.

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

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

Care to share the sledge ? must have been a good one. Either that or your in between overs jokes are terrible KE.

Haha it was nothing bad at all, he kept holding us up, bowlers ready to bowl but he wasn't ready to face up, our opening bowler got sick of it so yelled out from the top of his mark "can I go, are you ready" then bowled the ball and told him to ****ing hurry up and face up and the guy told him to f off then walked to square leg and broke down. Apparently he has been hitting the low point of it lately

He isn't a bad player either, NZ u19 last year and on the fringes of first class cricket. He ended up retiring and didn't come back

 

[susan]

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.
[/quote]

Not denegrating all kids but if you if you don't think there has been a general decline in respect from youth in this country I think you are simply wrong. And it is not just a minor few as you suggest'.

The kids Mick and I were talking about roam the streets at night on party drugs looking to kick the **** out of anyone who gets in their way. These kids don't go to the school camps you refer to,bounce out of bed to go bushwalking or look forward to their next book review.

Even the local hoods in my day had a bit of respect for their elders -these days they know they can simply run wild with no repercussions and do so.

 

[Clint]

.

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

Depression is a strange creature

Absolutely. One of my best mates is one of the funniest blokes I know. He is, without fail, the life of every party. But, deep down, he battles with some horrific demons, daily!!

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

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.

Yep true

I have tried to stay out of this topic, there are a lot of people that have the 'inside word' but in reality everybody making a comment on here is basing it on assumptions and speculation

 

[eagles2win]

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

Probably the best thing Anthony has said in a long time.

 

[StuBoot]

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

Care to share the sledge ? must have been a good one. Either that or your in between overs jokes are terrible KE.

Taking out middle stump is always the best sledge!

 

[Jethro]

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

Depression is a strange creature

Very true.

Remember the late Peter Jackson, the Queenslander who played for the Raiders, Broncos and Bears back in the mid 80s to Mid 90s? He always wore a smile too and clown around but he had a secret that he kept hidden.

After his death in 1997, it was revealed that as a fifteen-year-old he was sexually abused by his football coach. Because of this, he suffered from depression and used drugs and alcohol throughout his life to try to combat it. In the end, he ended his life with a heroin overdose.

 

[manlyfan76]

Maybe Benji Barber just doesn't want to play with the dogs or for hasler. Makes as much sence as anything.

 

[Andrew..]

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

Depression is a strange creature

Very true.

Remember the late Peter Jackson, the Queenslander who played for the Raiders, Broncos and Bears back in the mid 80s to Mid 90s? He always wore a smile too and clown around but he had a secret that he kept hidden.

After his death in 1997, it was revealed that as a fifteen-year-old he was sexually abused by his football coach. Because of this, he suffered from depression and used drugs and alcohol throughout his life to try to combat it. In the end, he ended his life with a heroin overdose.

Always admired him as a footie player (even though he was a Queenslander) ..was shocked by his death...Truth is you just never know.

 

[ManlyBacker]

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

Probably the best thing Anthony has said in a long time.

Sorry e2w. The best thing said by Anthony would be when he is in a coma. Every issue is someone else's fault. I'm over his incriminations on every facet of society except his own little fantasy world.

 

[Chip and Chase]

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

Care to share the sledge ? must have been a good one. Either that or your in between overs jokes are terrible KE.

Haha it was nothing bad at all, he kept holding us up, bowlers ready to bowl but he wasn't ready to face up, our opening bowler got sick of it so yelled out from the top of his mark "can I go, are you ready" then bowled the ball and told him to f**king hurry up and face up and the guy told him to f off then walked to square leg and broke down. Apparently he has been hitting the low point of it lately

He isn't a bad player either, NZ u19 last year and on the fringes of first class cricket. He ended up retiring and didn't come back

He couldn't have been that good if you were playing against him 😉

Sorry, couldn't resist it. Reminded me of the Waugh classic when he was taking a long time taking guard in a shield match and someone sledged him for the slips, "hurry up it's not an 'effin test match you know" to which he replied "of course it isn't, you're here"

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Haha the levels of Prem's cricket must have dropped mate 😉

Put a test match bowler back over his head a few weeks back, was only a 1 test wonder who went wicketless but I will claim it haha

 

[Napper]

Reading about cricket is nearly as boring as watching it 😉

 

[MadMarcus]

Finally Barba is recognised as "one of the game's greats"...

http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/exclusive-interview-ben-barba-says-he-strives-to-be-better-off-the-field-than-on-it-in/story-e6frfkp9-1226591557215

 

[voicefromthehill]

So with Barba apparently suspended for only alcohol and gambling issues it is so edifying to see the footy show having a segment sponsored by Sporting Bet. Even better that MMM advertised them during their coverage. If the league is serious about addressing the issue of problem gambling amongst our players, and the potential scourge of match fixing, they should drop all association with gambling. And that includes our centrebet sponsorship.

I read a interesting opinion piece which indicated Las Vegas has no pro NFL team due to the potential for corruption from gambling, thought provoking....