SYDNEY - When talking about the Bulldogs' stunning NRL turnaround it would be wrong to overlook the rebirth of five-eighth Ben Roberts.
Handed a Kiwi test jumper prematurely aged just 21 in 2006, Roberts became a victim of himself and let his actions away from the field create more headlines than his efforts on the paddock.
Like high profile teammate and friend Sonny Bill Williams, Roberts started racking up a long misdemeanour list.
Drink-driving, a police assault charge and numerous fights in nightclubs had Roberts on his last chance at the club, more than likely headed out the door.
But just as the club's fortunes have swung around in 2009, so too has Roberts' career.
He's focused under new coach Kevin Moore and enjoyed working with `footy heads' like Brett Kimmorley, Michael Ennis and Ben Hannant.
"We asked some tough questions of him last year and when people get to that opportunity in their career as professional athletes, they can go one way or the other," said Bulldogs chief executive Todd Greenberg.
"Ben chose the door that put him onto the path of some success and he's been rewarded with a two-year contract on the back of that.
"I think what he needed to do was put football first and he asked himself some tough questions about how much do I want to be the best rugby league player that I can be and to do that takes sacrifice.
"It takes hard work and he's done all of that and he's done it in bucketfuls and the reward comes back to you when you do the hard work and that's why it's so pleasing to see him do so well."
With his off-field life stabilised, Roberts has begun thriving on the field with the best season of his career.
Playing off the back of the guidance of Ennis and Kimmorley, the young five-eighth has been running amok with the ball and is one of the reasons the Bulldogs now stand one win away from a grand final.
A close look at the statistics shows that in fact, Roberts is more deadly than Kimmorley when it comes to getting points for the Bulldogs.
He has 15 linebreak assists to Kimmorley's nine, and along with Ennis he leads the club's try assists tally (18) ahead of Kimmorley (11).
Greenberg said he was proud to see what Roberts is now doing on the field for his team.
"He's had a wonderful season and he's a wonderful guy, Ben, and he's really stepped up when the club's needed to," he said.
"He's a wonderful story. There's a guy who's done the hard work and he's made the sacrifices to get to where he's got and it's just been so pleasing to see him do well on the field is fantastic."
- AAP
NRL: Born-again Roberts mirrors Bulldogs' turnaround
Kiwi Ben Roberts has turned his career around under new Bulldogs coach Kevin Moore. Photo / Getty Images
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