Ben Barba charged after alleged altercation with partner

Disgraced former NRL star Ben Barba has been charged over the alleged casino incident that saw him thrown out of the game.

It relates to an alleged altercation that occurred at a Townsville casino over the Australia Day long weekend.

NRL CEO Todd Greenberg de-registered Barba from the game last month and said he couldn’t foresee any way back for the former Dally M Medallist.

His hardline stance came after the NRL integrity unit viewed CCTV footage of an alleged physical altercation involving the Cowboys player and his partner Ainslie Currie at the casino.

On Tuesday, Barba was charged with two public nuisance offences and banned for three months from attending the Townsville nightclub precinct after handing himself over to Mackay police.

It’s understood his partner did not make a complaint against him.

The charges come a day after Barba was filmed in a heated altercation with a reporter.

Barba was caught screaming at a Channel Nine reporter: “I will hurt you, do you want me to hurt you?”

In the confronting video, the sacked star revealed his plans to hand himself in to police on Tuesday over the allegations he assaulted his partner.

“I’m going to the police station tomorrow. And I’m about to be charged with nothing,” he says.

“I don’t feel lucky,” he yells in the video. “I’ve lost everything!”

Footy career in tatters

Last month the NRL told Barba to find a new career after effectively handing him a life ban from the league.

Having debuted in 2008, Barba won the 2012 Dally M 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.

With agencies