Lote Tuqiri was slaughtered over a tweet posted after Ben Barba was banned from the NRL. Photo / Getty
Lote Tuqiri was slaughtered over a tweet posted after Ben Barba was banned from the NRL. Photo / Getty
Lote Tuqiri has been torn to shreds on social media for posting what many believe is an insensitive tweet after Ben Barba was rubbed out of rugby league for good.
Barba was yesterday deregistered from the NRL by CEO Todd Greenberg and was told to "find a new vocation" because he won't be welcome in the code again after an incident involving his partner at a Townsville casino over the Australia Day weekend.
An investigation by the NRL integrity unit found there was a "physical altercation" between Barba and Ainslie Currie, which prompted Greenberg to declare he can't see any scenario where the 2012 Dally M Medal winner ever returns to the NRL.
Tuqiri, a former Australian rugby league and rugby union international who enjoyed a decorated NRL career with the Brisbane Broncos, Wests Tigers and South Sydney, took to Twitter on Tuesday night to voice his sympathy for Barba, prompting a stream of furious replies.
Say what you want about #BenBarba but today he’s been stripped of something he really loved doing and one of the things he’d be most passionate about. I feel sad for him today! I hope he can find something that fills that void.
Nearly 370 people responded to Tuqiri's tweet, almost all of them saying the same thing — that Barba's family deserved sympathy, but not him. Rugby league commentator Andrew Moore was among those to criticise Tuqiri's view, tweeting: "Talk about misplaced sympathy!"
Lote, that’s a very shallow statement, Ben knew he was on his last chance, I feel for the real victims, his wife who has had to endure the drugs, alcohol and abuse! Footballers obviously have a pack mentality to protect their own, maybe that mentality needs to turn into morals
Tuqiri tried to clarify his position in the face of the negative reaction, saying he in no way condones what Barba did and doesn't disagree at all with the severe penalty handed down.
Did I say abuse was ok? No. Just simply stating I feel sorry for someone who’s lost something they cannot do professionally again.
Did I condone his actions? No. Did I say I didn’t ageee with the sanctions? No. I simply stated I feel sorry for the bloke. Next time you try and get a point across, check the content and leave the name calling aside.
"His registration with the game is no longer and I can't see a time, at any time, in the future that he'll be welcomed back," Greenberg said.
The life ban for Barba after a brilliant career marred by off-field controversies may mark a watershed for the NRL with Greenberg promising an escalation in penalties, particularly for indiscretions involving violence against women, after an off-season littered with ugly headlines.
Player misbehaviour will again be on the agenda when the ARL Commission meets for the first time in 2019 at Rugby League Central on Wednesday. An emotional Greenberg, who knew Barba from his time as his club CEO at the Bulldogs, said he had not spoken to the 29-year-old but had sent a message to Currie through a third party to offer support and counselling.
Ben Barba in action for St Helens. Photo / Photosport
The English Super League and Australian Rugby Union have both said they won't offer Barba a career lifeline, leaving European club rugby union as his only option if he wants to continue playing professional football.
"I'm not going to call for (a worldwide ban) but what I am going to say is that in the jurisdiction that I uphold, there's no place for him," Greenberg said. "It's probably time for Ben to find a new vocation.
"Where we see violence against women we'll act in the strongest terms. That message, I thought, had been pretty clear. If it hadn't been before it is today.
"We're going to get tougher and stronger on players that do the wrong thing because we cannot afford the damage it does to our game.
"We'll treat every case on its merits but where there is violence against women it sits at the top of the pile."
Having debuted in 2008, Barba won the 2012 Dally M Medal and led Canterbury to the grand final that year before his career first spiralled out of control. He was stood down by the Bulldogs to seek help for alcohol and gambling issues, amid rumours of a domestic violence incident.
News Corp published photos of his partner with cuts and bruises to her face, however, she made no complaint to the NRL or the club.
After a stint at Brisbane in 2014, Barba played a leading part in Cronulla's 2016 grand final win, scoring a decisive try in the first half. But trouble soon followed as he was suspended for 12 weeks when he recorded his second illicit drugs strike after the Sharks' premiership celebrations.
He landed in French rugby union before he rebuilt his career in the English Super League, winning the Man of Steel award last year, and was offered a one-year deal by the Cowboys.
However, he was sacked without ever playing a game for the Townsville-based club.
