CRONULLA’s Ben Barba has revealed close mate Daly Cherry-Evans had to help convince him not to quit the NRL for park football.

Barba may have recaptured his brilliant best in the opening rounds, but the fleet-footed No. 1 thought about leaving the game over the summer after losing passion for the game.

He admits it took several frank discussions with Manly halfback Cherry-Evans to change his mind.

“I was pretty close to just saying if I turned up this year and wasn’t going to perform I was just going to walk away and go back home to Mackay,” Barba said.

“I knew that this year was my last chance to prove myself and I had to give it all.

“I had a few good chats and I sat down with Daly and talked about it and just footy growing up and how much I enjoyed it.

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“I wasn’t getting the same feeling there for a bit and I was getting sick and tired of playing sh*t and I just needed to get my confidence back.

“But I’m glad I found the enjoyment again and I’m still here.

Manly's Daly Cherry-Evans helped convince Ben Barba not to give up the NRL. Picture Gregg Porteous Source: News Corp Australia

“I worked really hard with the people here at the club and I’m pretty thankful that they believed in me and the training staff knew what I could do.

“Now I’m going all right, I’m still playing footy and I’m not back home in Mackay.”

Barba, 26, is producing his finest football since winning the Dally M Medal in 2012.

The star fullback has scored four tries in six matches as one of the Sharks’ most consistent performers.

Coach Shane Flanagan knew Barba was battling for form last season and he is just happy he stuck by the big name recruit.

“I didn’t know he wanted to quit the game, but we all knew he was struggling and we were helping him through that,” Flanagan said.

“That probably showed on the field because he wasn’t at his best and enjoying his footy.

“Sometimes players go through those types of things, but he has stuck with it and he has worked really hard in the off-season.

“He probably needed last season to end and start fresh.”

On the back of Barba’s strong start to the season, The Daily Telegraph can reveal he is line for a contract extension beyond 2017 if he maintains his stellar form in the coming weeks.

Ben Barba of the Sharks celebrates scoring a try against the Tigers. Source: Getty Images

The Sharks No. 1 could also land himself an Origin jumper, with Queensland coach Kevin Walters confirming the in-form fullback was on his radar for the 2016 series.

“Obviously Benny has got a couple of blokes in front of him, but you don’t know what is going to happen with injuries and the like,” Walters said.

“Our talent pool is a lot smaller than NSW and we need to keep an eye on all our players at the different NRL clubs.

“Ben is a high profile player and I love watching him play.”

Before securing a maiden Maroons jumper, Barba is hell bent on keeping the Sharks’ No. 1 jumper with a host of talented youngsters like Valentine Holmes and Jack Bird circling for the position.

“I think it (the fullback) is mine and I deserve it,” he said.

“I’m glad that the performances I’ve put in at the start of the year have probably proven that.

“I did play a little bit in the halves when I first came into grade, but I think fullback is definitely my spot now and I’d like to stay there.

“I’m just glad that I’ve got young guys there that I can hopefully rub off on.

“Then when it’s time to walk away from the game they can say that they’ve learnt something from me.”