http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...e/news-story/b2929cb6b7d0b52105a1692853b23ca9
TROUBLED NRL star Ben Barba has taken a $1000-a-week labouring job in the first step towards resurrecting his rugby league career.
The Courier-Mail can reveal Barba will become “Ben the Builder’’, spending Christmas and New Year working on a Sydney building site.
Barba returned to Australia on Wednesday determined to rebuild his personal and professional life after completing a 28-day stint at a rehab clinic in Thailand.
Cronulla’s premiership fullback and Queensland Origin hopeful tested positive to cocaine use last month, only four days after starring in the grand final.
Barba is attempting to resurrect his career out of the spotlight. Pic: Gregg Porteous
The drama continued for Barba, with the 27-year-old racing from Sydney to Townsville to support a family member who is battling personal problems.
When the dust settles, Barba will begin a mission to revive his NRL career. Barba has to serve a 12-game ban for a second offence for cocaine use and has offered to work as a labourer during his time in NRL exile.
“Ben is going to work on the tools for a while,” his manager Gavin Orr said.
“He will work with an associate of mine who plans to take him on over the Christmas period.
“He is working on a project around the Cronulla area and Ben has offered to help give him a hand to stay busy.
“A lot of rugby league players turn to the drink or get on the punt because they have so much free time, so this will be good for Ben.
“To Ben’s credit, he wants to stay active and this will be an important part of his recovery.’’
Barba looks set to knock back offers from overseas. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)
Barba had been linked with a move to Japanese rugby, but Orr said his client’s preference was to finish his career in rugby league.
He is currently without a Cronulla contract and has to clear several hurdles to return to the NRL.
He faces a meeting with the NRL integrity unit, must serve his three-month suspension, then negotiate a new deal with the Sharks or a rival club.
“My gut feeling is Ben will want to play NRL again,” Orr said. “There’s been speculation about Japanese rugby but Ben’s heart is with rugby league.
“He’s had a big year. It didn’t end the way he wanted it to end, but Ben now has to decide if he wants rugby league in his life.
“At the moment, Ben has told me he’s in no rush, he wants to reunite with his family first.
“He has no obligations to Cronulla at the moment but the club’s welfare guy has been in constant contact with Ben and he would like to go back to the Sharks if they want him.
“Ben has a 12-match suspension to work through so the first step is sorting himself out and we’ll go from there.’’
It has been a dramatic fall from grace for the premiership winner. Picture: Brett Costello
Orr said Barba embraced his month-long stint in rehab, which cost an estimated $14,000.
“Ben told me it went well over there,” he said. “He appreciated seeing what others went through. He spoke really highly of it. He was sitting in front of other people talking about his own personal issues and life and there was a lot of sharing.
“It can be hard to get these guys to open up, they see themselves as tough footballers, but a lot of the problem with Ben was keeping it in.
“The time over there has taken all of the pressures away. Ben now has to make up his mind what he wants to do.’’
