Ben Barba

Player #	704
Nickname	X-Factor
Position	Fullback, Five Eighth, Half Back, Centre
Height	177cm
Weight	86kg
DOB	13th Jun 1989
Origin	Darwin, NT
Junior Club	Norths Devils Mackay
Debut	2008: Round 20 vs St George Illawarra
Other Clubs	Brisbane, Cronulla
Rep

Ben Barba joined the Bulldogs in 2007 mid-season from Norths Devils in Mackay. He played the remainder of the year in Jersey Flegg, scoring 13 tries and kicked 33 goals in just 10 appearances.

Ben continued his scoring into the new year when he played in the inaugural Under 20 National Youth Competition. In 17 appearances, Ben scored 28 tries, kicked 70 goals and two field goals for a total of 254 points before getting the call up to first grade.

With Ben Roberts stood down for disciplinary reasons, he was called upon to make his NRL debut off the bench against the Dragons.

An exciting point scoring machine that burst onto the NRL arena in with some amazing try scoring displays in the inaugural NYC competition. He was named Bulldogs Rookie of the Year and in 2008 he was named in the NYC team of the Year.

Season 2009 consisted of four first grade appearances, 17 NSW Cup games and six in the Under 20's competition - totalling an impressive 30 tries.

In 2009, Ben was a member of the Bulldogs feeder club, the Bankstown Bulls NSW Cup premiership winning team against Balmain Ryde.

Ben was one of the Bulldogs best in 2010, playing 21 games in the top grade and scoring 15 tries. Dubbed the X-factor by teammate Michael Ennis, he was exactly that as he managed to create tries from nowhere on countless occasions.

On 12 February 2011, Ben made his representative debut for the Indigenous All Stars in the All Stars Match. He scored his first ever representative try in the match where they lost to the NRL All Stars 28-12 at Cbus Super Stadium. With the departure of former Bulldog and NSW Country fullback Luke Patten to English club the Salford City Reds, he became the Bulldogs new full-time fullback. In Round 6, he scored a hat trick of tries in the Bulldogs 34-14 win Parramatta at ANZ Stadium.

It was announced on 20 July 2011 that Ben had signed a contract extension at the Bulldogs until the end of the 2015 season. In Round 25, he scored two tries in the 32-22 win against Newcastle in a thrilling second half comeback after they were trailing 22-6 at halftime. In Round 26, with the Bulldogs just missing out of a top eight spot, he scored a mercurial 4 tries in the 36-22 win against the Canberra Raiders at ANZ Stadium in retiring Bulldogs captain and second rower Andrew Ryan last ever game. He finished the year with him playing in 24 matches and scoring 23 tries, being the season's equal top try scorer with South Sydney winger Nathan Merritt. Ben played on the interchange bench in the Prime Minister's XIII squad to play against Papua New Guinea at the end of the year.

In 2012, Ben began the year by playing for the NRL Indigenous All Stars team in the 2012 All Stars match where the Indigenous Team lost 36-28. He earned himself a selection into the 25-man Queensland State of Origin squad, named as their 19th man in the lead up to Game II of the 2012 series, but did not play in any games. In Round 16 against the Melbourne Storm at Virgin Australia Stadium in Mackay, in front his own hometown crowd, Ben set the 2012 try of the year for teammate Josh Morris. He fielded a Storm kick only one metre from the dead ball line, then evaded his opposition beating six defenders and ran 70 metres down field before centre kicking for Morris to score next to the posts for what was a 109-metre try. On 4 September, Ben was awarded the 2012 Dally M Medal. In addition he won the 'Peter Frilingos Headline Moment of the Year', the Provan-Summons Medal as 'People's Choice' Player of the Year as well as being named Fullback of the Year. After the Bulldogs won their first two final matches they made into the 2012 NRL Grand Final against the Melbourne Storm on 30 September. He played at fullback and had a try disallowed in the Bulldogs 14-4 loss. Ben finished season as the Bulldogs and the NRL's top try scorer with 22 tries in 27 matches.

On 9 February 2013, Ben played for the NRL Indigenous All Stars team in the All Stars match where he scored a first half hat trick of tries and was awarded the Preston Campbell Medal as the man of the match in the Indigenous Team 32-6 win over the NRL All Stars at Suncorp Stadium. In early 2013, Ben had personal issues to resolve before being allowed to play again for the Bulldogs. He returned to action for the Bulldogs in Round 4 and scored his first try of the season in their 17-12 loss to the South Sydney at ANZ Stadium. In Round 20, He suffered first ever first grade NRL injury causing him to require time and therapy off the field during the Bulldogs 40-12 win against Parramatta at ANZ Stadium. He suffered the ankle injury scoring a try. On 28 August 2013, while injured, he asked for a release from the Bulldogs due to his ambition to play for the Brisbane Broncos since he and his family are from Queensland. He returned for the Bulldogs in the last regular game of the season in Round 26 against the club he signed with the Brisbane Broncos, playing off the interchange bench in the Bulldogs 16-11 loss at Suncorp Stadium. He played his last game for the Bulldogs in the Finals Week 1 match against Newcastle where in the 50th minute, he was stretchered off from the field due to his ankle problem in the Bulldogs season ending 22-6 loss at ANZ Stadium. Ben finished his last year with the Bulldogs in the 2013 NRL season with him playing in 17 matches and scoring 10 tries.

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FIRST GRADE STATS