This was published 7 years ago
Inside LANNA Rehab in Chiang Mai, the Thailand facility Ben Barba is turning to
By Adrian Proszenko
Thailand has long been a holiday hotspot for Australian tourists, but a growing number of NRL stars are heading there for rehabilitation rather than recreation.
Ben Barba is believed have booked into LANNA Rehab in Chiang Mai after he was released from his Cronulla contract after registering a positive drug test. Promoting itself as a "complete mind/body/spirit solution", LANNA is one of several Thai rehab centres being used to assist troubled rugby league stars.
Ben Barba was sacked by the Cronulla Sharks over a positive test to cocaine.Credit: Getty Images
Roosters halfback Mitchell Pearce spent more than a month at neighbouring Thai rehab facility The Cabin at his own expense following his infamous Australia Day bender, which included simulated sex with a dog.
Roosters recruit Paul Carter also checked in at The Cabin after being sacked by South Sydney as part of his recovery from alcohol and gambling issues. Brisbane centre James Roberts, the 2015 Dally M centre of the year, retreated to LANNA to deal with the alcohol and personal issues that threaten his promising career.
Retreat: Mitchell Pearce spent more than a month at neighbouring The Cabin.Credit: YouTube.com
The Cabin is described on its website as featuring "sprawling river front gardens, sun-warmed swimming pools, exotic teak wood furniture, four-poster king-size beds, verandas or wooden decks overlooking the river or gardens … It is all about the feel-good factor, to kick-start the new you."
Luxury doesn't come cheap, with the starting price of a 28-day program about $14,000.
LANNA is an Australian-owned facility that, according to its website, offers "comfort and luxury at an affordable price".
"There simply is no better place to feel and enjoy yourself and your life being revived," the LANNA website states.
NRL clubs and players believe one of the advantages of the Thai settings is they are far removed from the fishbowl that is public life in Sydney, allowing clients to undergo treatment away from the media glare.
"It takes you away from all distractions, all your comforts, your phone," Carter recently told Fairfax Media.
"You just focus on you completely. You have about three or four classes a day … so your day is packed.
"It teaches you not only about alcohol issues and gambling and drug addiction but a lot of life skills. How to deal with my anger issues, how to deal with things out of my control, how other people are feeling."
Those close to Barba are hopeful his stint at LANNA will prove personally and professionally beneficial. Barba this year showed glimpses of the form that earned him the Dally M medal in 2012 as the best player in the game, raising hopes he had conquered his personal demons.
However, his positive drugs test, allegedly for cocaine, suggests the 27 year old has slipped back into bad habits. The NRL confirmed the transgression is Barba's second for recreational drugs and carries a 12-match ban. After parting company with Cronulla, it's unclear whether he has a future in the NRL.
Barba's life had previously threatened to spiral out of control while associating with the Epic Bender Crew, a group of Gen Y partygoers who prided themselves on binge drinking their way through the weekends. That association coincided with domestic violence allegations against his partner Ainslie Currie. Barba was never charged.
Speaking to Fairfax Media in September, Barba admitted he almost lost his family due to his "all about me" attitude.
"I let the spotlight get to me and I was ashamed of what I did to my family," Barba said at the time.
"Absolutely, the spotlight got to me, and I won't shy away from that. I lost track of who I was and what I was. I did let it go. Especially with myself and Ainslie [partner Ainslie Currie] at the time. I'm so happy that I have been able to patch things up with her."
That Cronulla have agreed to release such a valuable player from the final year of his contract suggests they are aware of the seriousness of Barba's personal problems.