Canterbury Bulldogs suspend superstar Ben Barba Ben Barba suspended by the club. Picture: Gregg Porteous Source: The Sunday Telegraph REIGNING Dally M medallist Ben Barba is "ill" and "needs help," according to Bulldogs CEO Todd Greenberg, who suspended the star fullback indefinitely today for behavioural issues. "We don't know if Ben will be back in six weeks or six months," Greenberg said at a 1.30pm press conference, after news of Barba's suspension broke this morning. Greenberg said the Bulldogs had made a conscious decision to take Barba out of the football spotlight. Ben needs help. He needs professional help," Greenberg said. As a club and as a game we need to focus on Ben Barba the person and not Ben Barba the player. The pressure of being the game's face ahead of Wednesday night's season launch at The Star casino forced Barba's hand. Barba will no longer take part in the event. Greenberg refused to go into specific reasons for Barba's suspension, but confirmed it related to the breakdown of his long-term relationship with childhood sweetheart Ainslie Currie. Greenberg confirmed it was not a police matter. Rather, Barba was penalised for breaching the club's code of conduct. This is not one issue. Greenberg said. It is the manifestation of a number of issues stemming from the breakdown of a personal relationship. News Limited understands a gambling problem was also at the centre of the drama. Barba approached his management and Bulldogs officials for support over the weekend, amid concerns about his private life. The grand final fullback split with Currie, the mother of his two children, during the off season and now lives alone. "Ben has lost his way and we need to help him find his way back," Greenberg said. He is not ready to play football. He needs help. If he can come out of this a better person I have no doubt he'll come out a better footballer as well. Barba released a statement saying he was facing personal issues in his day to day life and was "incredibly sad to be stepping aside." "Today is a very difficult day for me as I feel I've let my family, children, club and supporters down," Barba said. Ben Barba appears in this Fox Sports promo ahead of the 2013 season. NRL CEO David Smith backed Greenberg's decision to stand Barba down. "This appears to be a challenging set of circumstances for a young man in the public spotlight and it is a time for us all to give him and the club some room to find the best way forward," Smith said. Barba's manager Gavin Orr said the Bulldogs had made the right move in suspending his client. "It is a personal issue and one he needs space and time to deal with," he said. It is Ben's story to tell so I can not comment on anything specific. He's going through some issues in his life and the Bulldogs are supporting him through it. Just last week Maroons coach Mal Meninga revealed Barba only needed to a consistent start to the season to book himself a Queensland debut. The Bulldogs open their season on Saturday, March 9 against the Cowboys at Bluetongue Stadium.