Ben Roberts (rugby league)

Ben Roberts
Personal information
Full name Benjamin Tapuloa Roberts[1]
Born (1985-07-08) 8 July 1985
Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
Height 183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight 94 kg (14 st 11 lb)[2]
Playing information
Position Five-eighth, Halfback, Hooker, Centre, Fullback

Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2006–11 Canterbury Bulldogs 93 10 0 1 41
2012–13 Parramatta Eels 37 2 1 0 10
2014 Melbourne Storm 18 2 3 0 14
2015– Castleford Tigers 77 22 0 2 90
Total 225 36 4 3 155
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2006–07 New Zealand 5 0 3 0 6
2008–17 Samoa 12 4 9 0 34
As of 7 October 2018
Source: [3][4]

Benjamin Tapuloa Roberts (born 8 July 1985) is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a fullback, stand-off or scrum-half for the Castleford Tigers in the Super League. He is a former New Zealand and Samoan international.

Background

Roberts was born in Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.

He is of Samoan, and New Zealand descent and is the cousin of soccer players Tim Cahill, and Chris Cahill. He was educated at John Therry Catholic High School, Rosemeadow, and Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield, alongside former Sharks centre Dean Collis.

Playing career

Roberts in action for the Canterbury Bulldogs

Joining the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in 2006 as a five-eighth, Roberts was originally recruited from Western Suburbs Magpies before became a regular member of the NSWRL Premier League team. In 2007, he has started in halfback in the early rounds due to injury to regular playmaker Brent Sherwin. With Sherwin's return from injury and form, Roberts was shifted to five-eighth.

He made his second international appearance for the New Zealand Kiwis on Friday 20 April at the 2007 ANZAC Test against the Australia national rugby league team in Brisbane. In February 2008,Roberts was arrested by police who were forced to use capsicum spray on the player after an altercation outside the Glasshouse Tavern in Wollongong. He was later fined $2,000 after pleading guilty to assaulting police and resisting arrest.[5]

He was named in the New Zealand, and Samoan extended training squads for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.[6][7] In the end he was selected in the Samoan squad for the tournament.

5 years later he was selected for Samoa in April 2013, for a test match against Tonga in Penrith, New South Wales. Later in the year he was selected for Samoa again, but this time for their 2013 Rugby League World Cup campaign. He featured in all four games that the Samoans played, scoring two tries. He scored one try against heavyweights New Zealand in an entertaining 42–24 defeat. He scored his second try in Samoa's 38–4 thrashing of The Kumuls.

On 17 May 2011 Roberts signed a two-year deal with The Parramatta Eels.[8]. Roberts was a member of The Parramatta sides which finished last in 2012 and 2013[9].

On 23 January 2014, it was announced he had signed on with the Melbourne Storm for the 2014 season. In round 1 of the 2014 NRL season, Roberts made his début for the Storm against the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles.

On 7 October 2014, Roberts was selected in the Samoan 24 man squad for the 2014 Four Nations series.[10][11]

Super League career

On 7 July 2014, it was announced that Roberts signed a contract to play for the Super League club Castleford Tigers in 2015.[12]

He played his first Super League game against the Catalans Dragons in the second round of the season. He scored his first Super League try against the Warrington Wolves in round 9.

Roberts scored in Castleford's opening home fixture against Wakefield in round 2 of the 2016 season.

Club Season Super League Challenge Cup Total
AppsTriesGoalsDrop GoalsPointsAppsTriesGoalsDrop GoalsPointsAppsTriesGoalsDrop GoalsPoints
Castleford Tigers 2015 2490238100002590238
Career total 2490238100002590238

As of 25 September 2015

    References

    1. ↑ ROBERTS, BENJAMIN TAPULOA 2006 – 2007 – KIWI #727 Archived 23 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine. nzleague.co.nz
    2. ↑ "Castleford Tigers 1st Team Ben Roberts". Official Castleford Tigers web site. Castleford Tigers Rugby League Football Club Ltd. 2015. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
    3. ↑ Ferguson, Shawn Dollin and Andrew. "Ben Roberts - Career Stats & Summary - Rugby League Project". www.rugbyleagueproject.org.
    4. ↑ "Players - Love Rugby League".
    5. ↑ http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/599407/Leagues-off-field-incidents-during-centenary-year
    6. ↑ "Kiwis select Sonny Bill". Sky Sports. 8 August 2008. Retrieved 8 August 2008.
    7. ↑ "Samoa, Tonga and Fiji name squads". BBC. 8 October 2008. Archived from the original on 13 October 2008. Retrieved 9 October 2008.
    8. ↑ "Eels win race for Roberts".
    9. ↑ http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-23/roberts2c-romelo-sign-with-storm/5216118
    10. ↑ Toa Samoa name Four Nations squad. NRL.com. Retrieved on 21 September 2016.
    11. ↑ Toa Samoa name Four Nations squad Archived 3 February 2016 at the Wayback Machine.. Zero Tackle (7 October 2014). Retrieved on 2016-09-21.
    12. ↑ Ben Roberts: Castleford Tigers sign Melbourne Storm playmaker – BBC Sport. Bbc.com (7 July 2014). Retrieved on 2016-09-21.
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