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Benjamin Barba has been released from the Sharks after a positive cocaine test came back amid Cronulla’s historic Grand Final celebrations. While there’s no doubt it’s a bad thing to be doing, has Barba been jipped by unfortunate timing?
First things first – no one should be condoning the use of illegal drugs (stay in school, kids) and I certainly am not, but it does seem like an odd time to be pulled up on something like this.
The Sharks will have deservedly been partying long and hard after breaking one of the longest sporting droughts in Australian history.
Barba has gone past the VB tinnies and “better than Lego” interviews and hit some stronger hardware in his celebrations, and now will face the consequences of those actions.
Some reports are saying Barba was tested four days after the Grand Final.
That’s a bit of a setup if there ever was one to catch someone off guard. Much like the policeman that sits around the corner from the local pub on a Saturday night, it’s a system made to catch people out.
Again, the fact he’s now gone off to rehab and will take time away to sort out his life is a great outcome, but his NRL career has been smacked right in the face and he now faces an unknown road towards the future.
His own teammate was suspected of supporting a convicted murderer towards the end of the season, and was issued nothing but a verbal warning from the club.
Mitch Pearce was given a solid ban for his Australia Day shenanigans, but the club kept him and the NRL took no further action against him.
In many cases, especially in other codes, this out-of-season behaviour is considered as non-football related recreational drug use that falls out of the punishment zone.
Clubs have every right to discipline a player under their contract but rarely is it in a situation like this, out of season and among club celebrations.
Cronulla boss Lyall Gorman is adamant that Barba was the only offender among accusations that the 2012 Dally M winner wasn’t alone in his infringement.
It just feels a bit out of place, like there’s more to this story than we’re being told – and the fans agree.
So the big question is what other sharks players were doing Cocaine with Barba after the GF #barba #sharks #nrl #drugs
— Chris (@BulldogChris) November 8, 2016
You would have to think Ben Barba was not the only one……. #CoverUps #Scandal #NRL #CronullaPremiership #Sharks
— Jeff (@TJG_100) November 7, 2016
Upon hearing the Barba news. How many premiership footballers will today be thinking "thank fuck they didn't test me after we won it"?#barba
— ŖÏȻƘÝ (@Ricky_P86) November 7, 2016
League player found to be on gear during a post-GF bender? That's like finding some sand in your towel after a day at the beach. #Barba
— Trent Hile (@Hiley23) November 7, 2016
Sports people with money to burn and the access to certain people and situations are constantly tempted by the darker side of fame.
Ben Barba’s certainly not the first and won’t be the last to do it, but how many have actually been caught out?
Wendell Sailor was given a lengthy ban by the ARU for the same substance back in 2006, Ben Cousins has had a very checkered history over in the AFL during his playing days – not to mention the saga at the Titans a couple of years ago.
That’s three instances off the top of my head without Google. It does happen, people do get pinned for it, but it’s not a common occurrence when you imagine how many other players may have been doing the same thing.
Barba has been released by the Sharks and has a 12-game ban courtesy of the NRL if he does return. But where to now?
Will he take the season off? Will he just bail and go to England? Rugby maybe? In simple terms, he’s been pushed out the door and may never come back.
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