SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 29: Ben Barba of the Bulldogs warms up prior to the round four NRL match between the Canterbury Bulldogs and the South Sydney Rabbitohs at ANZ Stadium on March 29, 2013 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Ben Barba’s NRL career appears over after CCTV footage from a Townsville casino showed the former Dally M Medallist physically assaulting his partner over the Australia Day weekend.
In the aftermath of the release of the vision, Barba has been deregistered from the NRL and seemingly won’t play again after an announcement by NRL CEO Todd Greenberg.
The announcement came after an investigation by the league’s integrity unit into the alleged domestic violence incident.
“It was a physical altercation and that was plenty for me to make the decision I’ve made,” Greenberg told reporters on Tuesday Morning.
The NRL boss didn’t mince his words when addressing Barba’s prospects of playing in the league in the future.
“I can’t see a time, or any time in the future that he’d be welcome back.”
Greenberg continued to put the rest of the league on notice.
“We’re going to get tougher and stronger on players that do the wrong thing because we cannot afford the damage it does to our game.
“It’s a very clear message for a lot of players in our sport that it’s a great privilege to play rugby league… But it comes with real responsibility.
“If you start to step outside the crease, you are going to put your livelihood at risk.”
Barba was sacked by the North Queensland Cowboys on Friday, having just joined the club from English Super League side St Helens ahead of the 2019 season.
He was on his final warning at the Cowboys after being booted from the NRL in 2016 for recording a second illicit drugs strike following his former club Cronulla’s premiership.
Barba played 168 of his 202 career games in the NRL, spanning eight years from 2008 to 2016.