Ex-Dally M winner reportedly facing assault charge

Ben Barba, the 2012 Dally M medalist and former superstar of the NRL, is reportedly facing an assault charge, among other charges.

Barba, 35, is being accused of three different offences following an alleged incident at a popular nightclub in the Mackay city centre region, per the Daily Mercury.

It is alleged that he assaulted another individual, and refused to leave the premises of The Rabbit Hole before resisting being removed by an authorised person.

According to the publication he has been charged with "common assault in a public place while adversely affected by an intoxicating substance, failing to leave licensed premises and removal of person from the premises".

After the case was mentioned in Mackay Magistrates Court on Wednesday, the matter has been adjourned until August 14 for mention.

Last playing in the NRL in 2016, he won the Koori Knockout in 2023 with Walgett Aboriginal Connection alongside South Sydney Rabbitohs duo Jack Wighton and Isaiah Tass.

During his time in the NRL, he was recognised as one of the premium elite players of the competition, particularly during his tenure with the Canterbury Bulldogs (2008-13), where he won the Dally M Medal in his fifth season.

Barba then had stints with the Brisbane Broncos (2014) and Cronulla Sharks (2015-16) but struggled to reclaim his Dally M talents. He made 168 first-grade appearances, scoring 99 tries in the process.

A member of the Sharks maiden NRL premiership title, he was banned by the NRL following a positive test for cocaine in 2016 before moving to French rugby outfit Toulon.

He later returned down under with the North Queensland Cowboys in 2019 but was cut from the club before playing a game.

The fullback's history also includes a stint with Super League side St Helens in 2018, where he won the Man of Steel Award as the competition's best player.