Ben Barba career looks to be over after CCTV confirms altercation

Ben Barba has been deregistered after CCTV footage confirmed his altercation with his partner at a Townsville casino.

The 29-year-old was sacked by North Queensland Cowboys last Friday following a physical altercation with his partner.

And it has now been revealed that the CCTV footage shows Barba physically assaulting his partner, Ainslie Currie, at a Townsville casino on Australia Day.

The full-back has been deregistered by the NRL after the league’s integrity unit viewed the CCTV footage of the incident involving his partner.

Barba only returned to the NRL in the off-season following an 18-month spell in Super League with St Helens.

And was yet to play a single game for the Cowboys.

Barba’s future in rugby league looks to be over, with the NRL having deregistered him from their system, while Super League have also come out in support of the NRL, saying they will uphold any ban given to him.

Rugby [Union] Australia chief executive Raelene Castle has also confirmed that any ban enforced by the NRL would also be honoured by her organisation.

It looks like Barba’s only option would be a switch to European rugby union, where he has previously had a spell with Toulon shortly after his drugs ban while at Cronulla Sharks in 2017.

Barba’s sacking leaves the Cowboys in a sticky situation, with the new season just around the corner. Michael Morgan is expected to move to full-back, with Te Maire Martin and Jake Clifford coming in the halves.

Barba has not made any comments on the allegations, while NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg said it was ‘time for Barba to find a new vocation’.