Ben Barba makes stunning Aussie Rules debut

Former Super League Man of Steel Ben Barba kicked 13 goals over two games as he made his Aussie Rules debut this weekend.

Barba, who was sacked by North Queensland last year after an incident with his partner, was playing for the Eastern Swans in the Mackay Senior Men’s Cup competition.

After kicking seven goals for the Swans reserves, he stepped up to the seniors and kicked a further six goals playing in the ‘full forward’ position.

“There’s some family members that play here on the side,” Barba told 7News. “So, I thought I’d come down and run around, and lose some weight.

“It’s just a way to keep fit, and keep my mind off things.”

Barba has been out of the spotlight since his departure from the Cowboys resulted in his deregistration from the NRL.

A return to Super League was then blocked leaving his rugby league career in tatters at just 29.

Barba scored 34 tries in 34 games during his 18 months with St Helens, form that ultimately led to his crowning as the competition’s best player at the end of 2018.

Watch brief highlights of his performance for the Eastern Swans here.