Ben Barba has it all to prove against his future Broncos teammates. Source: Mark Evans / DailyTelegraph
BEN Barba on Thursday night runs out for a team with players he doesn't speak to, against a team with players he desperately needs to win over.
The dynamic fullback has been brought into the Canterbury Bulldogs side at the 11th hour for a finals tune-up against the Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium.
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Barba will provide Broncos fans a glimpse of their team's potential in 2014 but Brisbane players are far from sold on him claiming their No.1 jersey from team favourite Josh Hoffman.
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Hoffman is among the most popular men at the club and the players have rallied around the disenfranchised custodian since news of Barba's recruitment broke.
Barba is the subject of an NRL Integrity Unit investigation following allegations of assault against his ex-partner and mother of his children Ainslie Currie.
Currie has repeatedly stated through her lawyer that she was not the victim of domestic abuse.
Despite the drama engulfing Barba and concerns over his welfare, the NRL will not stand in the way of the Bulldogs playing him, leaving it to the club's judgement.
Playing Barba is a bold move by Bulldogs coach Des Hasler who knows his team need their ace match-fit to be a playoffs force.
Barba's arrival at Red Hill in 2014 and the ramifications for Hoffman will purposefully challenge and disrupt the Broncos playing group.
Brisbane vice-captain Alex Glenn confirmed his good friend Hoffman had been hurt by the signing of Barba but denied he wanted out of the club.
Glenn said Barba would not be removing the No.1 jersey from Hoffman's back anyway.
"The way Hoffy has been playing we are all standing behind him and I don't see Barba coming here and taking his spot," Glenn said.
"I feel for him because it is always tough when the club signs someone in your position.
"It is hard. You start thinking the club doesn't believe in you and your ability.
"He's playing some tremendous football since being at fullback and he's proven a point.
"I just tell him not to worry about it and he can't let the news affect him.
"He just needs to be mentally tough. Pressure on his spot will develop him into a better footballer."
Bulldogs players expect the Queensland Origin hopeful to play after he trained at fullback in recent days.
Josh Morris, originally named in the No.1 jumper, is tipped to return to centre, with Krisnan Inu likely to make way to accommodate Barba.
Barba last week admitted there were Bulldogs players he knew were unhappy with him.
"It is weird. That's the worst thing ... knowing that if they had a problem it won't be cleared before I leave," Barba told Fox Sports.
"I don't notice it because there are boys in this team I'm really close with that make me forget about the ones that have a problem with me.
"We are all men and men find it hard to speak to each other.
"It is a situation that is a bit funny. What happened at the start of the season really affected how they went about me."
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