Cronulla have been blindsided after grand final winner Ben Barba reportedly accepted a multi-million deal to join French Rugby.
Barba appears lost to the NRL after he accepted a two-and-a-half year contract worth $1 million a year to join Toulon, News Corp reported.
However Sharks chief executive Lyall Gorman said he had not received any indication from the 27-year-old’s management that a deal had been struck.
“I’m not aware of that,” Gorman told AAP.
“We’ve had no communication with him today, I can’t verify that.”
The former Dally M medal winner could now turn out for Toulon as early as next weekend’s Global Tens tournament in Brisbane.
Toulon shocked the NRL world late on Tuesday by trumpeting Barba’s signature until midway through 2017.
Barba had hoped to return to the Sharks by the time his 12-game ban for a second positive illicit drugs test expired, however the governing body moved quickly to shut down his plans.
The NRL’s strong stance led Barba to question whether to back-track, prompting Toulon to table a longer term deal.
NRL boss Todd Greenberg on Wednesday declared Barba’s suspension wouldn’t start until any overseas playing commitments were completed, virtually ruling Barba out of a return this year.
The developments come after the NRL had recently granted the former Dally M medallist permission to train at the club and participate in community programs.
“Ben’s always been frustrated by the stability in his life. Married man with four young kids, I can understand that,” Gorman said on Wednesday.
“We’re just trying to get a bit more clarity around some of those items to give him a bit more level of comfort as to where he’s at.”
Gorman said the club’s original one-year offer for Barba is still on the table.
“I think we’ve always made our position very clear that we see Benny as a member of our club and want to see him have a long-term future at our club,” he said.
“At the end of the day, his decision is to go overseas and he believes that’s in the best interests of his wife and kids, we accept that.”
Barba was a key component in the Sharks’ maiden premiership win last year, but his manager Gavin Orr admits his 27-year-old client may have made his final appearance in the NRL.
“I dare say he will play in this Tens tournament,” Orr told News Corp Australia.
“Ben can either look back at his mistakes or he can look forward and try to be an inspiration for his kids. Rugby has been on Ben’s radar before. At one stage he looked at being part of the Australian Sevens team for the Rio Olympics.
“Even before he joined the Sharks, he talked about challenging himself in rugby. Maybe things happen for a reason, but this is something he wants to pursue.”
Dean - Surry Hills
Guest
Here it is. I will cut and paste it for you. Molecular structure: procaine Molecular formula: C13H20N2O2 Molecular weight: 236.31 g/mol Like cocaine and some other local anaesthetics, these substances are benzoic acid esters. The structure of 3-(p-fluorobenzoyloxy)tropane (pFBT) is closely related to that of cocaine, but it has a fluorine atom in the phenyl ring, and lacks a carboxyl group on the tropane ring. The formal name for 3-(p-fluorobenzyloxy)-tropane is (1R,5S)-(8-methyl-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-3-yl)-4-fluorobenzoate (CAS: 172883-97-5), but it is also known as 4-fluorotropacocaine, 3-pseudotropyl-4-fluorobenzoate or simply pFBT. It can be synthesised by the condensation of tropine with p-fluorobenzoic acid, where tropine is obtained from the hydrolysis of atropine.
northerner
Guest
That reference does not refer to procaine, as should be clear if you had actually read the article. Perhaps this will help: http://archive.boston.com/business/healthcare/articles/2009/09/07/is_a_novocaine_related_to_cocaine/
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Sport a completely different issue to what a country does Jacko.Especially as the sporting situation has only partly been resolved a couple of years ago.,
Dean - Surry Hills
Guest
Dean - Surry Hills
Guest
Of course they’re chemically related – they’re synthetic cocaine derivatives. http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/drug-profiles/synthetic-cocaine-derivatives
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
24/7?
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Jacko.You appear to have no idea, what the club has been doing for him and his family ,in light of his second positive result. One thing about Gorman,he has always stated the emotional well being of the players is paramount. Another conspiracy theory by Jacko.The Sharks are hardly blessed with positional ,fast and defending fullbacks. He has been getting support.The Sharks wanted him to be able to train with the team, they were instructed that he could not by the NRL. Seriously don't guess the situation. He knew he was on a 12 week stint .He was unsure whether that included the WCC and 9s.The NRL stated it did not.He was dropped ,and thus he could have gone to play AFL or any other sport. Perhaps his management has a bit of answering to do.Managers are supposed to act in the interest of their clients and keep them fully informed.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
The Barry.Just using the example of what so called rec drugs can do.Never suggested he was anywhere near that situation. I'm as devastated as many Shark;s fans by his decision. There is in fact everything to show, he got caught not once but twice in his career on this issue. It is standard contract fare, caught twice 12 weeks.He did not protest his sacking by the club. The reality is the testers,NRL and the Sharks are not to blame.In fact he was receiving counselling and support from the club.The ARU's Pulver has stated they will stand alongside the NRL with these penalties.The French ru clubs, have typically a different view on the matter
Jacko
Guest
Ma'a Nonu will keep him in check
Jacko
Guest
And only 8% tax whoo hoo
Jacko
Guest
Rik is that anything like the Ethnic clensing which took place here in Aus? The history of a country is just that..History...What a country does in the past is relevent if they dont change Aus changed and so did France so you need to move on
Jacko
Guest
totally agree. Sharks dont sack him...no problems now
Jacko
Guest
1 week for Roberts
Jacko
Guest
Only if the player gets sacked KC. It is all about having or not having a contract. If he was not sacked then all this discussion would not be taking place as he would be certain of when his suspension starts and finishes. The NRL are refusing to registar his contract meaning he has no idea when he can play again...All he wants is certainty for himself and his family. No one is argueing the punishment, just the post punishment handling of it
The Barry
Roar Guru
Have I made up my mind already? My whole point is I have no information to make up my mind. There might be a perfectly valid reasons for lengthy delays in every single decision - it's just no one knows what they are. Two weeks might be an acceptable timeframe for the Barba situation. Is three months for Fifita? Is four months for Foran? No one know because there's no transparency. The NRL makes up their own guidelines as they go along. What's the appropriate frame of reference? Do you know it? If you want to talk frame of reference you're now comparing the NRL registering one player's contract to the processes and dilligence required of APRA, ASIC, etc.
northerner
Guest
If he hadn't been fired by the Sharks, it would have been the first 12 weeks of the season. When they fired and rehired him, it was a whole new ball game.
Mushi
Guest
Like I said Barry if you want to do something that requires any actual consideration it takes longer I used Foxtel simply as an easy example to hand. Which organisaitons would you like held up as an example? Apra, ASIC, AER, FIRB, ATO, ASX, UKLA, SEC? Transparency is good to a point but what is the value in explaining to you why they are still looking into Foran when you lack an appropriate frame of reference and have made your mind up already?
northerner
Guest
I have indeed heard of procaine. It is chemically unrelated to cocaine.
Jacko
Guest
What is f14? glad to see you are genuine in your appraisal of a sport
Jacko
Guest
How is sacking him looking after him? They saw an opportunity to help themselves and they crapped on Barba for their own bottom line. Helping would have been suspending and fining him then giving support.