Barba can salvage his career: Lockyer

Ben Barba during training with the Cronulla Sharks. Picture Gregg Porteous Source: Gregg Porteous / News Corp Australia

BRONCOS great Darren Lockyer says Ben Barba is not a spent force in the NRL, insisting the Brisbane discard is still burdened by the expectation stemming from his Dally M heroics.

Lockyer watched Barba's career last season with particular interest because the troubled utility had stints in the Broncos' No.1 and No.6 jumpers synonymous with the former Maroons skipper.

But unlike Lockyer, Barba never fired at fullback and not even a late-season move to five-eighth could extract the best of the tackle-busting dynamo who terrorised NRL rivals in 2012.

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A dejected Ben Barba. Source: News Corp Australia

There are fears Barba will never again reach the heights of his glory days at the Bulldogs, but Lockyer is adamant the 25-year-old can resurrect his NRL career at the Sharks.

Lockyer is now a member of the Broncos' recruitment-and-retention committee which backed Wayne Bennett's pursuit of Darius Boyd, effectively leading to Barba's demise at Red Hill.

The former Test captain is disappointed Barba never found his niche at the Broncos, believing the Mackay product is still paying a price for the season that propelled him to NRL stardom.

"When Wayne (Bennett) first came back here, he pretty much declared that he wanted Darius at fullback so it was always going to be difficult for Ben in that situation," Lockyer said.

Ben Barba looks to offload during training. Source: News Corp Australia

"The hard thing for Ben is living with what he achieved in 2012 with the Dally M award.

"Everyone just compares him to that and that was just a freakish season, you can't keep repeating that year after year.

"Some of the half-chances Ben was getting last season (at the Broncos), he was often only an inch or two away from really breaking a game open.

"Unfortunately, it didn't work out here for Ben, but it's a professional game and player movement is getting more and more common.

"He's now got a fresh start at Cronulla, so I wish Ben well and if he backs himself he can have success there."

Ben Barba is tackled. Source: News Corp Australia

Boyd accepts he is under pressure to fire at fullback after Barba and Josh Hoffman were offloaded by Bennett to accommodate the Maroons ace.

"There's that expectation ... combinations are a key and they take a while to get going," Boyd said.

"Anthony Milford (five-eighth recruit) will be playing in a new position but we have a couple of trials and a long pre-season to get things sorted out.

"Everyone has been very welcoming. The Broncos are a very professional club, everyone is wanting to do their best from the players to the staff.

"The facilities are great, they give you the best chance to play well, that's what I'm used to back here and hopefully I can do that next season."

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