Chapel House Motor Company Limited Advertising Banner
Page 1 of 4 1234 LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 79

Thread: Benny Barba

  1. #1
    In The South Stand reliable sauce's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Posts
    3,655
    Rep Power
    20

    Default Benny Barba

    A real class interview featuring Barba (1hr 45 minutes long) is on Facebook. He goes through his full career, ups, downs, Saints etc.

    I’ve never had a bad thing to say about Barba whilst he was at Saints, such as when he wasn’t playing at his phenomenal best and a select few fans were on his back saying he didn’t care. As expected the interview gives a real insight to him as a person, his struggles with mental health, the media and pressures.

    He was also asked if he’d ever consider a return to Saints if it came about..

    If you search ‘TI talks footy’ on Facebook it’s on there, it was live on Facebook and a good few Saints fans were tuned in.

  2. #2
    In The North Stand With All The Old Folk The Yellow Giraffe's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Posts
    11,762
    Rep Power
    33
    NEVER WRITE OFF THE SAINTS

  3. #3
    Got A Season Ticket zerohero1266's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Posts
    399
    Rep Power
    18

    Default

    Fool us once ,shame on you.
    Fool us twice ,shame on us.
    Would never want him back.

  4. #4
    Got A Season Ticket Sainthood's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Posts
    105
    Rep Power
    0

    Default

    Not the most articulate, was hoping for something more insightful - though he did reveal the reason he left.

  5. #5
    Got A Season Ticket
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Posts
    127
    Rep Power
    0

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Sainthood View Post
    Not the most articulate, was hoping for something more insightful - though he did reveal the reason he left.
    What was the reason? I'm not on Facebook

  6. #6
    Got A Season Ticket
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Posts
    127
    Rep Power
    0

    Default

    Pity things turned out the way they did. Such a talent when on song but, obviously had lots of problems resulting in very poor play. He wouldn't fit in now even if he wanted to come back. Too much of a risk.

  7. #7
    Banned
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Posts
    4,739
    Rep Power
    0

    Default

    .
    Last edited by Angry Dave; 1st June 2020 at 08:26.

  8. #8
    Starting A Programme Collection
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Posts
    733
    Rep Power
    12

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Angry Dave View Post
    •••• him, I would rather snog my mam than that little wretch come back. He could have been a great but he chose otherwise.
    And if you click on the link you’ll know why

  9. #9
    Banned
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Posts
    4,739
    Rep Power
    0

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by saint-spoiler View Post
    And if you click on the link you’ll know why
    .
    Last edited by Angry Dave; 1st June 2020 at 08:26.

  10. #10
    Banned
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Posts
    4,739
    Rep Power
    0

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by saint-spoiler View Post
    And if you click on the link you’ll know why
    You're right, just listened to it.

  11. #11
    In The North Stand With All The Old Folk The Wee Waa Womble's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Harrogate
    Age
    33
    Posts
    7,965
    Rep Power
    30

    Default

    There’s a summary of the Saints part of the interview here


    https://everythingrugbyleague.com/ba...ding-incident/
    Forwards win games. The backs decide by how much.

  12. #12
    In The West Stand Ralph Fridge's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Location
    Around
    Posts
    5,517
    Rep Power
    17

    Default

    I am certainly not going to judge him for the way that he has handled difficult and emotional situations. In similar situations, I've hardly covered myself in glory either.

    I'm sure a fairly big carrot was dangled by NQ & that distracted him further. Again, fair enough.

    But assaulting your partner & the mother of your children is pretty low. Cowardly behaviour, no matter what else is going on in your life. I wouldn't have him back at Saints & we've ended up with a great pro in Coote.

  13. #13
    Got A Season Ticket
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Posts
    107
    Rep Power
    0

    Default

    When you watch that Saints highlights real he was some player - but what a waste of exceptional talent


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  14. #14
    In The North Stand With All The Old Folk Buddy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Queensland, Australia
    Posts
    11,407
    Rep Power
    33

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by saint-spoiler View Post
    And if you click on the link you’ll know why
    Seems like an excuse to be honest, I wonder how common it is for abusers to justify their actions with something like that.

    Was he mourning his Grandmother by throwing rocks at his partner?


    Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

  15. #15
    Banned
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Posts
    4,739
    Rep Power
    0

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Buddy View Post
    Seems like an excuse to be honest, I wonder how common it is for abusers to justify their actions with something like that.

    Was he mourning his Grandmother by throwing rocks at his partner?


    Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
    I don't think anyone is trying to excuse that, he's clearly got his problems.

  16. #16
    In The North Stand With All The Old Folk STIDDY's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Kingdom of Wigoon
    Posts
    8,872
    Rep Power
    22

    Default

    Split personality, in hindsight it would have been better if was on a short contract with us similar to Meninga, once the NFL got back inside his head the other personality surfaced. He was a model professional off the pitch when he was here with us and the rumours were that his partner wanted him to stay longer because it had a calming influence on him here in the UK.

  17. #17
    In The West Stand saintgeorge's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    eccleston
    Posts
    5,257
    Rep Power
    25

    Default

    I often wonder what Holbrook tried to do to get Barba back on track in the second half of that season? He persisted with playing him when we could all see his head wasn’t in it and in the end it backfired on us. It’s easy to be wise after the event and in Holbrook’s next season we were the strongest we’ve been for years but this is one question that makes you think.

  18. #18
    Banned
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Posts
    4,739
    Rep Power
    0

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by saintgeorge View Post
    I often wonder what Holbrook tried to do to get Barba back on track in the second half of that season? He persisted with playing him when we could all see his head wasn’t in it and in the end it backfired on us. It’s easy to be wise after the event and in Holbrook’s next season we were the strongest we’ve been for years but this is one question that makes you think.
    Tough one for Holbrook I guess, he was a bit damned if he did and damned if he didn't in relation to dropping him. As you say, hindsight is a wonderful thing.

  19. #19
    In The West Stand saintgeorge's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    eccleston
    Posts
    5,257
    Rep Power
    25

    Default

    He would have been a brave man putting Lomax at full back and Richardson with Fages for those last games.

  20. #20
    In The South Stand Tez the Saint's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Posts
    3,502
    Rep Power
    21

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Zippyarchie View Post
    When you watch that Saints highlights real he was some player - but what a waste of exceptional talent


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Yeah pretty much this for me as well mate.

    Some of his performances during the early part of the season were as good as I’ve seen in Super League, he was untouchable. He was involved in 50 odd tries which speaks for itself I guess.

    I don’t think we helped him out as much as we maybe could have done in terms of how we played. IMO we were too predictable towards the end of the year in attack and he was getting belted man and ball regularly. Defensively he was never brilliant.

    Players with less talent have had better and longer careers which is a shame.
    Steve Prescott MBE (1973-2013)
    V

  21. #21
    Banned
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Refugee from the fascist state of RLFans
    Posts
    5,853
    Rep Power
    0

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by STIDDY View Post
    Split personality, in hindsight it would have been better if was on a short contract with us similar to Meninga, once the NFL got back inside his head the other personality surfaced. He was a model professional off the pitch when he was here with us and the rumours were that his partner wanted him to stay longer because it had a calming influence on him here in the UK.

    It's a case of Barba being unable to resist temptation - and Ainsley knew the temptations back in Aus would be huge, not least with his extended family all wanting him to be a party animal (and pay for them to go on benders with him). That's bad enough, but as we've seen he's an absolute prick when he's drunk.

    Over here, his social circle revolved around the club and all the senior pros at Saints were/are well-grounded and pretty mature (notwithstanding LMS, in the nicest possible way!) so there wasn't that opening to go out and get hammered with a group that doesn't have your best interests at heart.

    A massive pity for the guy and his career, and more so for Ainsley and the kids.

  22. #22
    In The South Stand
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Posts
    3,643
    Rep Power
    22

    Default

    Holbrook gets the flak for the back end of 2018 from me. Barba was clearly injured, he come off early in one game (Wakefield?) at home and was clearly carrying a knock going into that game, aggravating it further in that match. We then pushed him through a further 160 minutes ahead of the Challenge Cup Semi. Why? He missed two games (Widnes and Wigan) and played in, what was, a dead rubber against Warrington the week before the Semi at Bolton, in which Holbrook even acknowledged at half time that Barba was carrying a knock and he didn’t change things, even with Fages, Richardson and Lomax in the seventeen that day. The lack of rotation killed us in 2018 and thankfully Holbrook learnt that going into 2019.

    For the rest of his time with us Barba looked knackered, probably physically, with his injury, and mentally, with a move back to Australia to ponder over and the death of his Nan and him being 24 hours from his family at that time.
    St Helens Rugby League Football Club

  23. #23
    In The North Stand With All The Old Folk Belgian Saint's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Europe
    Posts
    11,178
    Rep Power
    32

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Dos Cervezas View Post
    Holbrook gets the flak for the back end of 2018 from me. Barba was clearly injured, he come off early in one game (Wakefield?) at home and was clearly carrying a knock going into that game, aggravating it further in that match. We then pushed him through a further 160 minutes ahead of the Challenge Cup Semi. Why? He missed two games (Widnes and Wigan) and played in, what was, a dead rubber against Warrington the week before the Semi at Bolton, in which Holbrook even acknowledged at half time that Barba was carrying a knock and he didn’t change things, even with Fages, Richardson and Lomax in the seventeen that day. The lack of rotation killed us in 2018 and thankfully Holbrook learnt that going into 2019.

    For the rest of his time with us Barba looked knackered, probably physically, with his injury, and mentally, with a move back to Australia to ponder over and the death of his Nan and him being 24 hours from his family at that time.
    I don't think many will blame Holbrook for Barba showing a complete lack of commitment. I actually thought that Holbrook was taking the pressure of him saying he was injured.

  24. #24
    In The North Stand With All The Old Folk Belgian Saint's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Europe
    Posts
    11,178
    Rep Power
    32

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Webbo Again View Post
    It's a case of Barba being unable to resist temptation - and Ainsley knew the temptations back in Aus would be huge, not least with his extended family all wanting him to be a party animal (and pay for them to go on benders with him). That's bad enough, but as we've seen he's an absolute prick when he's drunk.

    Over here, his social circle revolved around the club and all the senior pros at Saints were/are well-grounded and pretty mature (notwithstanding LMS, in the nicest possible way!) so there wasn't that opening to go out and get hammered with a group that doesn't have your best interests at heart.

    A massive pity for the guy and his career, and more so for Ainsley and the kids.
    I was told from someone within the club that this was the case.

  25. #25
    In The South Stand
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Posts
    3,643
    Rep Power
    22

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Belgian Saint View Post
    I don't think many will blame Holbrook for Barba showing a complete lack of commitment. I actually thought that Holbrook was taking the pressure of him saying he was injured.
    A lack of commitment when your Grandmother has died? How dare he? How dare a man whose twenty-four plus hours from home be less focused or committed when there’s games against Huddersfield Giants and Hull Kingston Rovers to think of? He should have been burnt at the stake.

    He was clearly injured. It wasn’t an excuse.
    St Helens Rugby League Football Club

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •