North Queensland Cowboys recruit Ben Barba was reportedly drinking for seven hours before he allegedly assaulted his partner and mother of his four children in incident which is expected to end his career.
The alleged domestic violence incident against his partner Ainslie Currie occurred at Townsville’s Ville Resort Casino on Australia Day when the couple joined Barba’s short-lived Cowboys teammates and their partners.
The couple are understood to have travelled home together in a taxi as reports suggest Ms Currie wanted to keep the alleged domestic violence a secret.
Ms Currie pleaded with the Cowboys to keep the former Dally M player of the year in the squad, despite the alleged public display of violence where Barba allegedly threw rocks at her, The Courier-Mail reported.
She reportedly declared the alleged domestic violence was a private matter as she was fearful about losing the stability of his income.
North Queensland Cowboys recruit Ben Barba (right) was drinking for seven hours before he allegedly assaulted his partner and mother of his four children (left)
Ainslie Currie (pictured) reportedly pleaded with the Cowboys to keep the former Dally M player of the year in the squad, despite the alleged public display of violence
The NRL has been forced to stamp their foot down on the serious allegations amidst a string of players becoming caught up in assault charges.
News of the alleged assault broke on Friday and the Cowboys acted swiftly, cutting Barba, 29, loose of his $300,000 contract due to a ‘significant breach of terms’.
They are understood to have seen CCTV footage of the alleged assault.
Despite the serious allegations, Barba and Ms Currie have stuck together and were seen having lunch the day after Australia Day.
Police and the NRL integrity unit are expected to investigate three separate alleged incidents, the Daily Telegraph reported.
The first incident was an alleged heated verbal exchange in front of Cowboys players, their partners and other guests at the swimming pool area.
The alleged domestic violence incident against his partner Ainslie Currie occurred at Townsville’s Ville Resort Casino (pictured) on Australia Day
News of the alleged assault broke on Friday and the Cowboys acted swiftly, cutting Barba (pictured) loose of his $300,000 contract due to a ‘significant breach of terms’
The second was an alleged physical altercation inside the venue which was captured on CCTV and shown to Cowboys officials.
The next incident was an alleged altercation before getting into the taxi at the carpark.
Cowboys players Justin O’Neill and Te Maire Martin were in the couples’ company that evening and said they did not witness the allegations but are understood to have helped Barba and Ms Currie get a taxi home at about 8.30pm.
Barba had only just been named the fullback for the Indigenous team for the All Stars game on February 15 when news of a club investigation broke on Friday evening.
On Saturday, NRL boss Todd Greenberg said he ‘can’t see him ever returning’ to the game suggesting he could face a possible life ban.
Greenberg said there’s no way back into the league if the footage showed any indication of violence against his partner.
Barba’s (right) NRL career appears all but over after serious allegations of domestic violence against Ms Currie (left) emerged
NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg (pictured) said he would issue a life ban if the allegations were proved to be true
‘If you’re violent against a woman you can expect to be removed from the game,’ Greenberg told reporters in Sydney on Saturday, according to The Daily Telegraph.
‘It starts now. If (the footage) shows violence towards a woman there is no debate. Ben Barba will be out of the NRL immediately and I can’t see him ever returning.
‘If the evidence is there he won’t return under my watch.’
Greenberg concluded the press conference by saying the NRL off-season had been a ‘train wreck’, but was yet to actually see the CCTV footage for himself.
Police are investigating CCTV footage of the alleged altercation and have not laid any charges.
The potential of an impending life ban on Barba comes after a tumultuous career of the man once dubbed the golden boy of rugby league.
Barba was handed a 12 month contract for the 2019 season but has now been sacked. He is pictured with daughter Bobbi Barba
Ben Barba and Andrew Fifita were pictured at a fan day at Southern Cross Group Stadium, after they defeated the Melbourne Storm in the 2016 NRL Grand Final
The fullback was first embroiled in controversy in 2009 when he got into a drunken car park brawl with Bulldogs teammates Lee te Maari and Jamal Idris at the Wentworthville Hotel in Sydney.
He was dropped to reserve grade for the majority of the season – but managed to get his career back on track and in 2012 he scored 22 tries to claim the Dally M Medal and take the Bulldogs to the grand final.
Greenberg was the Canterbury chief executive at the time.
Things quickly took a turn for the worse the following year when vicious rumours circulated on social media that he had assaulted Ainslie Currie, his partner and the mother of his four children.
But she strenuously denied the rumours and police never brought any allegations of wrongdoing.
Ms Currie said in a statement at the time: ‘I heard rumours floating around about my personal life and I have had family and friends ring to see if I am OK.’
Barba was hoping this year would be his career revival, but an incident at a Townsville casino last weekend has led to its demise (pictured with his partner Ainslie Currie and their four daughters)
Barba’s public image began spiraling with allegations of domestic violence involving Ms Currie in 2016. Ms Currie has denied the allegations and Barba never faced charges
‘For the record, I am OK. I am healthy but I am dealing with an enormous situation regarding my break-up, which is being played out in a public forum.
‘Ben has asked for privacy and I guess it’s my turn to let people know that I am fine.
‘I am not physically hurt but dealing with a very personal situation that involves my children and myself.’
In February that year, Barba was stood down by the Bulldogs, who cited behavioural reasons. He then entered rehabilitation for gambling and alcohol issues.
One month later he returned to the field after missing just the opening three weeks of the season for personal reasons.
Over the next couple of seasons, Barba managed to stay out of trouble and won the premiership with the Cronulla Sharks.
But in May that year Barba was put on welfare watch after a drinking binge ended with him drunkenly abusing a teammate before a nasty spat with Ms Currie, who was then heavily pregnant with their fourth child.
The Cronulla Sharks sent Barba to stay with his parents in Mackay, east Queensland, to recover from the incident which began with him arguing with team mate Sosaia Feki over a game of cards.
Although the club denied there was a physical altercation, Sharks forward Wade Graham had to escort Barba home from the Cronulla Hotel ‘for his own protection’, it was reported.
When he returned to his Cronulla house that night, Barba had a spat with Ms Currie who was due to give birth in less than a week.
Speaking about the incident, Cronulla Sharks’ CEO Lyall Gorman said: ‘He broke out on the grog that night and he doesn’t handle grog at all.
‘He had a row with his missus but we don’t believe that was physical.
‘We just felt the best place for him was home with his parents for a couple of days.
‘We have put a lot of work into him and he has been given a lot of welfare and support.’
In November 2016, Barba was released by the Sharks after he tested positive for cocaine following their epic grand-final win and faced a 12-match ban. He went to Thailand for rehabilitation.
When the star signed his 12 month contract with the Cowboys last year after two years in exile in England, he vowed to stay away from drugs with his focus being on getting his career back on track.
‘I won’t be touching the stuff. Definitely not,’ he said.
‘I know this is my last chance to make better choices than I have in the past.
‘It’s easy for someone to say you’ve learnt from it, but the truth is I got in trouble twice for the same offence. I had to grow up. I’ve had to be honest with myself about the choices I make both inside and outside of football.’
He said he had learned from his past and would look to improve on his future.
But on Friday it emerged that Barba was allegedly involved in an altercation with Ms Currie at the Ville Resort-Casino in Townsville over the Australia Day weekend.
Later that night, Barba’s contract was terminated due to a ‘significant breach of terms’.
In a statement chairman Laurence Lancini said: ‘When a player joins the North Queensland Cowboys he agrees to abide by the terms of the contract.
‘After an internal investigation, it has been determined that this player has acted in contradiction to both the terms and the spirit of that agreement. Accordingly, the club has terminated his contract and has informed the NRL’s Integrity Unit.’
Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting Barba is guilty of any crimes, only that serious allegations have been made against him.
Barba’s off-field antics included a drunken car park brawl with Bulldogs teammates Lee te Maari and Jamal Idris at the Wentworthville Hotel in Sydney in 2009
When the star signed his 12 month contract with the Cowboys this year, he vowed to stay away from drugs with his focus being on getting his career back on track