[Confirmed] Ben Barba signs with Cronulla

[animal eater]

Re: [RUMOUR] Ben Barba to Cronulla

Time is going to tell when it comes down to the Barba/Boyd debate. I think if you are a true Bronco supporter, you hope that the outcome chosen is the one that best suits the team as a whole. I am starting to think that Boyd might be the right choice. What makes it hard is I don't think anyone particularly likes Boyd as being an overtly likable figure.

When you think of Darius even pre- coming out and admitting depression, you think of a bit of a prickly pear. When you think of Barba you tend to think of a bit more fun loving guy with plenty of flare. Still you go on what you see and how they perform. What I do know is post 2012, Barba has lacked in speed and he is a speed player. Many times through the year there would be gaps that presented that he wasn't quick enough to exploit. While everyone is talking about him being too heavy for the fullback position, I would remind you that even with a few additional kilos he was quite regularly rag dolled by opposing sides. At least with Boyd, he is a bit more hearty and less likely to be thrown around. While the flashes of brilliance aren't on display, he is a solid player on both sides of the ball and has shown he has a knack for finding the try line.

As for the argument about Ben to 5/8, I am not so convinced either in what I saw. Plenty will argue that he didn't have much time in the position but remember that for most of his football life he played in the halves. I believe what you saw is what you get.

Last point is that Bennett (and he isn't the first choice for coach I would of picked) has a knack for picking sides that play as a team and withstanding last year has proven he can do just that. That being the case, I will go with the flow and hope that the Broncos get some good millage out of an overpriced but solid Boyd. That said, I hope Barba finds some form and does well as he seems to be improving as a man and that in an of itself has some merit.

 

[Anonymous person]

Re: [RUMOUR] Ben Barba to Cronulla

Ben Barba a good fit for Cronulla Sharks, says Paul Gallen



If this is true that is disgusting[/FONT][/COLOR]

why? on his day he is one of the best players in the competition without doubt. if boyd is worth $700k+, Barba at $900k is an absolute steal.

He can either knuckle down, play like his career depends on it and fight for a first grade spot, or have the option of going to a desperate club that will guarantee him a first grade spot every week.

but Bennett told him that even if he was to make the 17 it would be coming off the bench into the pack - ie. bench hooker.

Barba is not a hooker, let alone a bench hooker. That's literally not an option, and bennett knows it. Bennett even specifically said he was basically telling him to leave because he wont make the team ever.

They had a deliberately misleading title there. When comparing him to Mick Han****, in reality they were saying they both faced a "you're not in our plans, but you can stay if you think you can force your way in, with no guarantees" ultimatum. The way they spoke of Barba's "decision" made it sound like the final decision was the same (ie, staying and fighting), where in actual fact that decision has not been made, or at least is not public.

The difference is that with Hancock Bennett said "see how the trials go, play well and youre in the 17", but with Barba he said "you're not in the 17, if you did somehow get in youd be playing bench hooker".

One of those is "play well and youve got a spot in the team", the other is "youre not in the team and not getting in the team". vastly different.

 

[noisetheory]

Re: [RUMOUR] Ben Barba to Cronulla

Time is going to tell when it comes down to the Barba/Boyd debate. I think if you are a true Bronco supporter, you hope that the outcome chosen is the one that best suits the team as a whole.

at the end of the day, if we get the results on the field then i will be happy with all choices made. until we can see results, or lack of, we will all continue to debate whether these decisions are right or wrong :)

 

[QUEENSLANDER]

Re: [RUMOUR] Ben Barba to Cronulla

While the flashes of brilliance aren't on display, he is a solid player on both sides of the ball and has shown he has a knack for finding the try line.

16 tries in 3 years. Yeh, hes real good at finding that line.

 

[broncos4life]

Re: [RUMOUR] Ben Barba to Cronulla

why? on his day he is one of the best players in the competition without doubt. if boyd is worth $700k+, Barba at $900k is an absolute steal.

When is his day? Because for mine it hasn't been sighted for over 2 years. If you can point me to the game where he has looked even close to a $900,000 player I will agree with you.

Not that it matters but I have never seen Boyd's salary atated as anything higher than 600k which is apparently his knights salary, so I'm not sure where the 700k+ comes from, but that's fine.

 

[Unbreakable]

Re: [RUMOUR] Ben Barba to Cronulla

Barba at $900k is an absolute steal.

Yeah, for him.

We paid him like $350k this year and he was lucky to make the 17 most weeks, I'm surprised anyone is willing to offer him more than that to be honest, he certainly hasn't justified being paid that much since 2012.

He could tough it out in Brisbane, put in a really good off-season and pre-season, force his way into our 17, force Bennett to make some tough decisions, prove that he's worth the money.. but nah.. he'll just take the first fat cheque that comes his way. Another example of why we don't want him at the club anyway.

 

[broncos4life]

Re: [RUMOUR] Ben Barba to Cronulla

Yeah, for him.

We paid him like $350k this year and he was lucky to make the 17 most weeks, I'm surprised anyone is willing to offer him more than that to be honest, he certainly hasn't justified being paid that much since 2012.

He could tough it out in Brisbane, put in a really good off-season and pre-season, force his way into our 17, force Bennett to make some tough decisions, prove that he's worth the money.. but nah.. he'll just take the first fat cheque that comes his way. Another example of why we don't want him at the club anyway.

Just to clear things up, that's not what he is being offered, the sharks are only willing to stump up 500k. The horrifying thing is reportedly that is what WE are paying him a season for the next 2 seasons.

 

[QUEENSLANDER]

Re: [RUMOUR] Ben Barba to Cronulla

Yeah, for him.

We paid him like $350k this year and he was lucky to make the 17 most weeks, I'm surprised anyone is willing to offer him more than that to be honest, he certainly hasn't justified being paid that much since 2012.

He could tough it out in Brisbane, put in a really good off-season and pre-season, force his way into our 17, force Bennett to make some tough decisions, prove that he's worth the money.. but nah.. he'll just take the first fat cheque that comes his way. Another example of why we don't want him at the club anyway.

Yeh thats the way, blame barba for being greedy and thats the only reason he would leave. What a load of shit. If your boss told you he didnt want you anymore and another rival company is chasing after you to join them, why the **** wouldnt you leave? He knows bennett doesnt want him, he knows he has an almost impossible job of trying to unseat boyd (and lets be honest, its not almost impossible, it is impossible) so at the very best he would be a bench hooker. I would leave in a heartbeat and im sure most people would do the same.

Attacking barba is ridiculous in this situation. He hasnt done anything wrong. He didnt make the broncos pay that much for him, the broncos are the ones that decided to do that.

 

[Financeguy]

Re: [RUMOUR] Ben Barba to Cronulla

Yeah, for him.

We paid him like $350k this year and he was lucky to make the 17 most weeks, I'm surprised anyone is willing to offer him more than that to be honest, he certainly hasn't justified being paid that much since 2012.

He could tough it out in Brisbane, put in a really good off-season and pre-season, force his way into our 17, force Bennett to make some tough decisions, prove that he's worth the money.. but nah.. he'll just take the first fat cheque that comes his way. Another example of why we don't want him at the club anyway.

I don't think its fair to question Barba's character by saying thats not the kind of player we want at the club.

He has had one pretty rough year with the club where he has been moved out of his position and the new coach has just informed him that he has no real future in the starting 17 so its in his best interests to look elsewhere.
Other clubs are throwing big money at him and no doubt offering him a starting spot, honestly, what would you do differently?

 

[Unbreakable]

Re: [RUMOUR] Ben Barba to Cronulla

Just to clear things up, you're all completely wrong in regards to us paying too much for him, we virtually took his Bulldogs contract, nothing more.

Reports last week indicated Barba's management were seeking a $1 million package, including $500,000 in marquee and third-party agreements, to deliver the fullback dynamo to Brisbane.

But it is understood Barba will not get a pay rise, with the Broncos effectively taking over the $350,000-a-season deal he had with the Bulldogs.

As part of the severance deal, the Broncos are likely to pay an undisclosed amount in compensation to the Bulldogs.

Bulldogs boss Raelene Castle claims the fact Barba will be paid the same amount by Brisbane as he would have by the Bulldogs proves the superstar's release was not financially motivated.

"No, it's genuinely family reasons," Castle said.

"They've taken the two-year contract as is across, so it's not about financial with him.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...se-from-bulldogs/story-fni3fbgz-1226705763998

 

[Anonymous person]

Re: [RUMOUR] Ben Barba to Cronulla

At least with Boyd......... and has shown he has a knack for finding the try line.

Only when Inglis or Thurston put the ball in his hands with less than 10m to run without any defenders. Boyd has scored 61 tries in 204 NRL games. Barba in comparison has scored 80 in 122 games.

 

[john1420]

Re: [RUMOUR] Ben Barba to Cronulla

And while I'm not to keen on this whole triple B debate, what baffles me is those against the decision can't respect those who are for it. I rate Boyd over Barba right now, that's not me being a Bennett fan boy, it's a genuine opinion I hold that Boyd is the better overall player and saying Bennett is playing favourites is justifiable, but not an absolute fact, there is the possibility (and it is my belief) that Bennett genuinely rates Boyd ahead of Barba and being the head coach who will be accountable for the performance of the team, is getting Boyd because he believes it's his best chance of success.

I'm not saying I'm right and those against Bennett are wrong, that's a ridiculous stance to hold because there's no absolutes in any of this, neither are there any absolutes in the salary cap as none of us definitely know what each and every player is earning.

I'm just saying why can't we have a more reasonable discussion instead of speaking in certainties when there isn't any, and holding an us against them mentality. We're all Broncos fans who want the best for the club, some of us see the route to success differently but that doesn't mean it's because we're blindly for or against Bennett, there is a middle ground there.

I don't agree with everything Bennett has done but on the whole I think he's done a fantastic job so far with the decisions he's made which I believe have us heading into the coming seasons with a much greater chance of success than if the club chose to stick with Griffin and the path we were following.

The only certainty is that this is an excellent post

 

[Anonymous person]

Re: [RUMOUR] Ben Barba to Cronulla

When is his day? Because for mine it hasn't been sighted for over 2 years. If you can point me to the game where he has looked even close to a $900,000 player I will agree with you.

when was it? it was more recent than Boyds, which occurred in about 2010.

 

[animal eater]

Re: [RUMOUR] Ben Barba to Cronulla

16 tries in 3 years. Yeh, hes real good at finding that line.

Serious, you are going to deny that he doesn't have an affinity to score tries in his career? While he is far from my favorite player, I can't argue that he isn't a solid player and if you are being honest, neither can you.

 

[Anonymous person]

Re: [RUMOUR] Ben Barba to Cronulla

Serious, you are going to deny that he doesn't have an affinity to score tries in his career? While he is far from my favorite player, I can't argue that he isn't a solid player and if you are being honest, neither can you.

Like i just pointed out:

Boyd - 61 tries in 204 games.
Barba - 80 tries in 122 games.

chalk and cheese.

i dont get this "barba is greedy" thing that the bennett faithful are now shouting from the rooftops? lol

Bennett flat out told him that he will not be in the team and that he should, not can, SHOULD look for another team!!!!!!! HOW IS THAT BARBA BEING GREEDY!?

 

[Kimlo]

Re: [RUMOUR] Ben Barba to Cronulla

but Bennett told him that even if he was to make the 17 it would be coming off the bench into the pack - ie. bench hooker.

Barba is not a hooker, let alone a bench hooker. That's literally not an option, and bennett knows it. Bennett even specifically said he was basically telling him to leave because he wont make the team ever.

Barba started his career that way, that's how he went from a nobody to one of the most exciting players in the competition he's still going to be paid the same amount but ultimately if he plays the house down and returns to his 2012 form, he'll have a place in the 17 regardless of what Bennett has said in the papers. It's not as simple as he'll just play bench hooker, we're very likely to get injuries (or even origin period) where Barba will definitely make a spot in the starting team and if he plays the house down, he'll keep his spot.

Hunt is a halfback, and he bided his time at bench hooker until he got a chance to prove his goods, Barba can do the same if that's what he wants.

The choice is still Barba's to make. Whether he stays or goes, he'll be earning the exact same amount. I'm a fan of Barba personally, and I hope he chooses to stay and reaches top form again, and if he goes to Cronulla I still hope he can return to his best.

 

[broncos4life]

Re: [RUMOUR] Ben Barba to Cronulla

when was it? it was more recent than Boyds, which occurred in about 2010.

That's simply not true, but the fact is you can't answer my question so once again you have just deflected. I didn't ask you for a comparison between Barba and Boyd.

You claimed that on his day Barba is worth 900k+ and all I want to know is when was his last 'day'? can you answer me this?

 

[Porthoz]

Re: [RUMOUR] Ben Barba to Cronulla

I didn't say Barba was having a cry.

Every coach has a favourite that for whatever reason they see stuff in even if a lot of the fanbase can't (hello, T-rex?!?)

Be it favouritism, father/son or some of the more disgusting stuff that has been said; Bennett believes that Boyd will do the job at fullback better than Barba. At the end of the he is the one that will receive the accolades if it pays off and the criticism and consequences if it doesn't.

I'll put a scenario to you. Say Bennett comes in and is stupid enough to listen to the fans and plays Barba at fullback over what is his better judgement (rightly or wrongly, let's not start the merry-go-round again). Persists with that for a few years and Barba's form doesn't improve, the team doesn't and we continue the mediocrity. When questions are asked are you going to accept an answer of "well it was really important to keep Barba there because it's what the fans wanted and he want's to stay close to his kids and that's what's most important".

I'll put a scenario to you. Barba moves on to kill it at another club and Boyd does what he has been doing for the last 3 seasons at the Broncos. When questions are asked, are you going to accept an answer of "well, it was a decision of keeping Boyd happy, besides the surgery required to separate Boyd and Bennett's hips is quite risky"...?

Yeah it was definitely that. No chance that his depression and all the other external factors had anything to do with it.

Doesn't seem to be a valid excuse for Barba, does it?

This is the first and last time this will ever appear around here :)

QFT! :aetsch:

On a more serious note, the reported contract value for Barba for his last 2 years at the Broncos, does shock me as well, and if true, makes me understand Wayne's decision a bit better.
I do however, not for a moment believe that to be true. Why on earth would we offer that kind of coin to a troubled player such as Barba, who needed to move to Brisbane to be with his family? It makes no sense at all!
[MENTION=8290]Unbreakable[/MENTION], your characterisation of Barba is disgusting. You know perfectly well that Bennett has pretty much shown him the door. You want to defend Wayne's decision to bring Boyd back, do it on its merits!

Finally, [MENTION=2021]broncospwn[/MENTION]...
You know my stance on the Triple B thing, but I do think your post is excellent, except for one thing...

Some of those against this decision don't respect some of those who favour it, but let's not kid ourselves... the opposite is also true!

I happen to support most decisions taken by Wayne, but will never get behind him bringing back his love child, and the assured fact he will have a mortgage on the Fullback position. If only for that fact, regardless of whether he's better than Barba or not, I wouldn't want Boyd at the club while Bennett is coach... ever!