Giants too hot as Barba eyes the exit door
BEN BARBA has made the headlines for all the right reasons this season, but his time at St Helens is threatening to turn sour.
The Australian full-back joined Saints last year while serving a 12-match ban after testing positive for cocaine at Cronulla Sharks.
After a sluggish start to life in Super League, Barba began this year on fire as Justin Holbrook’s men went top of the table.
In recent weeks, though, Barba’s form has dipped alarmingly as speculation intensifies that he will jump ship at the end of the season, despite being contracted to St Helens until the end of 2019. Saints were bundled out of the Challenge Cup last weekend and they were second best again, losing to a dogged Huddersfield who registered their 10th win from 11 league games.
Barba’s two awful handling errors led to tries which helped the visitors into a 16-6 interval lead and laid the platform for a famous victory.
As speculation over his future intensifies,
ST HELENS HUDDERSFIELD
Barba could have been forgiven for distraction.
One report Down Under yesterday morning claimed he has reached an agreement with Saints to be released at the end of this season.
Huddersfield, buoyed by the hulking presence of debutant prop Suaia Matagi, stormed into a 16-0 lead.
Homegrown winger Darnell McIntosh finished clinically in the left corner for the opening try before Barba twice knocked on from swirling high bombs by playmaker Danny Brough.
From the resultant scrums, Alex Mellor dived over before McIntosh did again for his 10th try in his last seven appearances.
Barba provided a reminder of his class when finishing off a sweeping move with a well-taken 27th try of the season.
Prop Luke Thompson cut the gap further with a closerange second score in the 58th minute but the Giants held on.