The ACT Brumbies turned down an approach from Ben Barba as the wayward NRL star contemplated resurrecting his career in Super Rugby this year.
It can be revealed Barba's resume landed at Brumbies headquarters recently before the Cronulla Sharks premiership winner signed a deal to join French glamour club Toulon.
![Ben Barba was sacked by the Cronulla Sharks over a positive test to cocaine.](/web/20170202071625im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/k/6/d/o/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gu3040.png/1485936636268.jpg)
The Brumbies delivered a quick and firm no to the controversial Barba and his hopes of a code switch, but in a twist they could be playing against him at the Brisbane 10s next week.
Barba sent the rugby league and rugby union worlds into a spin on Wednesday when Toulon announced he had signed a short-term contract to play in France.
But the NRL has taken a hardline stance against Barba's defection, declaring he will only be able to serve a 12-match suspension for testing positive to cocaine when he attempts to return to rugby league.
The NRL refused to register Barba's contract with Cronulla and he now faces being rubbed out for most of the 2017 campaign if he links with Toulon.​
"If it comes to that, I might never play the game again," Barba said. "It's taken them three months and nothing's been sorted out.
"As I said, I'm just going along with the flow and listening to the guys that take care of me."
If Barba pushes ahead with his move to Toulon, he could be injected into the club's squad for the Brisbane 10s tournament next weekend.
The inaugural pre-season event will be used as a warm up for the Super Rugby season and the Brumbies will go head to head with Toulon in the pool stages.
Duco Events, the company running the 10s tournament, said: "Following the breaking news of Ben Barba going to Toulon overnight, we extended a formal invitation to invite him to play as part of their squad."
Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham and dual international Andrew Walker will come out of retirement to play for the ACT club at the 10s.
But the former Wallabies duo could face the challenge of stopping a fleet-footed Barba and Toulon's powerful 124 kilogram beast Alesana Tuilagi.
The Toulon squad for the 10s will also boast Wallabies winger Drew Mitchell, who is considering a return to Australian Super Rugby.
Mitchell and Matt Giteau emerged as potential recruits for the Brumbies to bolster their squad after winger Lausii Taliauli suffered a suspected season-ending knee injury and while Christian Lealiifano continues his treatment for leukaemia.
However, it's unlikely Toulon will be willing to release the duo before the end of the French Top 14 season in May.
Larkham said he would call Giteau in the coming weeks to gauge his interest in a Brumbies cameo after the 103-Test veteran announced he was leaving Toulon at the end of the season to move his career to Japan.
There is a gap between the French and Japan campaigns that could allow Giteau to play for the Brumbies if he can add value to their season.