The worst kept secret in the NRL has finally been confirmed – Cronulla have signed Ben Barba on a three-year NRL deal.
Twelve months after arriving at Brisbane with a bang, Barba signed off at the Broncos with little more than a whimper after securing a release from the final two years of his contract.
A six-line Broncos media release confirmed Barba’s departure on Tuesday barely a year after the former Dally M Medallist had been welcomed at Red Hill with much fanfare.
Moments later the Sharks website showed off a beaming Barba wearing a Cronulla polo shirt.
“I realise I am a professional sportsman and must go where the work is to support and provide for my young family although it is unfortunate I have had to leave the Brisbane Broncos after just one year,” Barba said in a statement.
“I am grateful to (coach) Shane (Flanagan) and the Sharks board for providing me with this opportunity to join their club.”
Barba is expected to be groomed as a replacement for axed pivot Todd Carney when he starts training at Cronulla within a week.
It seemed a matter of time before Barba ended his disappointing one-season stint at Brisbane after returning Broncos coach Wayne Bennett admitted he could not guarantee him a start in 2015.
Barba finished the season at five-eighth – a position to be snapped up at Brisbane by new recruit Anthony Milford.
And a return to fullback appeared out of the question after Bennett confirmed on Tuesday that Darius Boyd had not only agreed to terms with Brisbane but would wear the Broncos No.1 jersey next year.
Barba put pen to paper on Tuesday after visiting the Sharks last weekend – much to Flanagan’s delight.
“I’m sure Sharks fans will be really excited about watching Benny play,” he said.
“He has flair, x-factor and try-scoring ability, but it’s not just about the tries he scores, it’s the tries he creates and the opportunities he provides for others.
“Our attack is an area we need to improve, I’ve focused a lot of my recruitment around that and Benny fits perfectly into the team I’m trying to build.”
Barba arrived at Brisbane keen for a fresh start with his family after off-field dramas further soured an injury-hit final season at the Bulldogs in 2013.
But Flanagan was confident the Sharks’ culture would be ideal for Barba, still buzzing from the arrival of his third child.
“The playing group here at the Sharks is extremely family-orientated and with the new arrival of Ben’s third daughter Blaise last week he will have plenty of support around him and his family,” Flanagan said.
In all Barba has played scored 80 tries in a total of 122 NRL games since his debut for the Bulldogs in 2008.
“We want to thank Ben for all the efforts he put in over the past year in what was a very long and tough season,” Broncos CEO Paul White said.
“From everyone at the club, we would like to wish him and his family all the very best for the future.”
