Perhaps we should all start singing this....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikJony6h_tQ
REDVEE UPDATE: The Front Row - An Open Letter to Ben Barba http://www.redvee.net/the-front-row-...-to-ben-barba/
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Anyone else ever so slightly worried about the fact that we’re being linked with an immediate move for Naiqama just after Barba’s reported suitors Cronulla have released Trent Hodkinson with immediate effect?
Not really.
Hodkinson can’t get in the Sharks team and Manly have well documented their halfback issues especially with the youngster Hastings.
I think Barba will go back at the end of the season but he won’t go before.
Naiqama can’t be seen as a replacement for Barba. It’ll be a similar situation to Laffranchi replacing Graham except Laffranchi had played at the top level for much longer than Naiqama has.
Last edited by reliable sauce; 16th May 2018 at 09:20.
He seems happy and settled it's only the press who are suggesting he is going home. We have looked after him I hope he looks after us and if he wants to go home after another year he can go with our blessing.
Learned comment from The Don
After seeing Barba in the NRL I knew he would be a success over here, although he has far surpassed my expectations. But it could have gone the other way if Barbas head was in the wrong place. He will get offered silly money to go back home in comparison to what Saint's could offer him but I guess money isn't everything with some people & being in the right place has worked wonders with Barba so only time will tell. I genuinely believe him when he says his decision hasn't been made yet & feel some silverware may be the deciding factor in persuading him to stay next year.
A few of the Ozzy websites seem confident that Barba will be back home soon enough. To be fair though they have been saying similar ever since we signed him.
It will always rile me that his ban was transferred over to super league. Had he signed for Leeds or Wigan i reckon the RFL would have ignored the ban as it was clearly stated as ‘a ban from playing NRL rugby’. If he still had that 12 matches hanging over his head NRL clubs wouldn’t be quite as keen to take him back. The NRL didn’t want him but they can’t stand to see him benefitting the British game. W***ers.
screaming in the family corner, scaring the kiddies
To be fair, all of the current rumours seem to have been started from here: https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl...ca3f0cf8240201 It seems to be yet another commentator guessing rather than anything tangible.
How do NRL clubs ever get anything done? The fishbowl of constant speculation is intolerable!
Yeh i agree. Personally, i think its highly likely he will cut short his stay and be back in the NRL for 2019. If he helps us win some trophies i won’t mind. It will be a sad day but if his family want to go home then you can’t blame him.
If he left over the next few weeks (which i don’t think he will) i would be pretty disappointed to say the least.
screaming in the family corner, scaring the kiddies
I found it somewhat surprising they spoke to Tommy M - but its basically gone from one commentator speculating that Naiqama could be Barba's replacement (which I dont know about others, but one way or another, I am confident he isn't...) to it being a swap deal done and dusted in 30 seconds flat.
If Barba goes to St.George, Jammer might come back - If you can't beat them ...
Don't think anything has really changed since this at the start of the year. It's been a great year for Benny so far and he really seems to be enjoying his time. He's consistently made reassurances he'll be here for this season and if he stays for the full contract on this form - then we'll be treated to even more entertainment. At the end of the day it's up to him - and I'm sure the club will be doing everything they can to keep him here - as they did fantastically well to get him sign for Saints in the first place.
Well said, if he leaves, he leaves. I’ve recovered my faith in the club and how it is managed now. It can only be his choice but I’m sure they are working hard to keep him. If he leaves I’m sure we will continue to improve after the low period this time last year
I hope so Ralph, mate. That could be the deciding factor. The aussies will likely offer him more money than Saints but that doesn’t mean everything, especially when you consider the cost of living down under.
His house over here is no doubt sorted by the club, so everything he makes is bank. Plus he gets mini breaks away with his family that he wouldn’t get in the NRL. He said himself that his recent trip to Portugal wouldn’t happen if he was in the NRL.
Also, he seems to enjoy being out of the spotlight playing in Super League. Its not like Australia where is every move is monitored by the media.
screaming in the family corner, scaring the kiddies
As I understand it, it’s missing his wider family and parents that are the big drive to moving back to Aus. I think if they were over hear there wouldn’t be a doubt in his mind about staying - it was one of the things that was always rumoured to have stopped him hitting the heights at Brisbane.