News The Mole: Bulldogs facing 'huge decision' over 'rusty' recruit Bronson Xerri

[Chris Harding]

The guy says Hayze Perham was solid. I wonder what dogs games he was watching?

I was waiting for Perham to display the potential that NRL commentators kept saying he had, but every game was a disappointment.

Only on two occasions did I see something from him that made me think he had talent, but he needed a good team to give him the opportunity, and it wasn't going to be the Bulldogs.

Perham struck me as a player who waited for others to perform before he could do his thing.

 

[Chris Harding]

That's what pre season training is for. He's elite. He was playing FG with Cronulla before the ban. It's
Ike riding a horse. He knows how to play FG. The pre season training will show him the defensive skills required. For goodness sake he had some elite FG footballers to help him....Critta, Burton, Hutchinson, Tracey, JAC......Everyone with a brain Cheso knows Xerri will be ready come round 1.

He is getting on an old Malvern Star at the Bulldogs, and will be up against teams with the latest racing bikes. He needs time.
We haven't done ourselves, or our players any favours, elevating them before they were ready.

Last year, with that run of injuries, we had no choice. This year, we can afford to give him a bit of time in reserve grade.
It will sharpen his enthusiasm to claim a top spot.

 

[Bad Billy]

Our opposed sessions will tell Cirro everything.
playing against players in the same system, who want his spot? That’s where Xerri will have to prove himself.

 

[flamebouyant]

I look at it this way, if Xerri did not get done for drugs and continued his form on todays market he would have been a 400k or 500k centre. So we have a bargin in the making. Allow his time to find his feet and a bit of room to move and he has the natural talent to cut teams to pieces. At the end of the season he will be chased and command big $$$. So if we see signs of his form returning we should lock him up for long term.

Seriously?? 400-500k in today's game?? Fucking lol. If Xerri was playing the last 4 years he would be a rep centre earning 700-800k.

 

[flamebouyant]

That's what pre season training is for. He's elite. He was playing FG with Cronulla before the ban. It's
Ike riding a horse. He knows how to play FG. The pre season training will show him the defensive skills required. For goodness sake he had some elite FG footballers to help him....Critta, Burton, Hutchinson, Tracey, JAC......Everyone with a brain Cheso knows Xerri will be ready come round 1.

I agree. Xerri wasn't just an average footballer, he was playing NRLol at 18 and was already being spoken of as an origin player. His timing may be a little off, but he is good enough to start round 1 IMO.

 

[Bulldogs09]

Seriously?? 400-500k in today's game?? Fucking lol. If Xerri was playing the last 4 years he would be a rep centre earning 700-800k.

Spot on. If reported figures of averilo getting 500-600k then xerri before ban would have got the 700k+ he was way better and younger.

That said 4 years out is a long time. The game has continually changed but in his favour he was a kid banned. Not a mid/late 20. He’s still early 20’s…. I have no doubt he will be a great signing. Probably a large part why we let averilo go without a bidding war with dolphins.

I honestly don’t think he starts in our backline by the end of year and once xerri has cemented himself again.

 

[flamebouyant]

Spot on. If reported figures of averilo getting 500-600k then xerri before ban would have got the 700k+ he was way better and younger.

That said 4 years out is a long time. The game has continually changed but in his favour he was a kid banned. Not a mid/late 20. He’s still early 20’s…. I have no doubt he will be a great signing. Probably a large part why we let averilo go without a bidding war with dolphins.

I honestly don’t think he starts in our backline by the end of year and once xerri has cemented himself again.

I think people are looking at how Hopoate struggled when he came back to the game after 2 years out, and using that as their yard stick for how Xerri will do. But they are 2 very different examples. Hopoate was walking around pushing bibles down peoples throats, and Xerri has been training the house down to stay fresh and fit.
Xerri is an out and out talent, and I will be very surprised if he doesn't start round 1. Sure enough he will still take time to get his timing right, but fitness won't be an issue, nor motivation!!

 

[capt obvious]

yeah nah he needs time in reggies. He isn’t game fit. Game has changed a lot in the 4 years he’s been missing too. Anyway you’ll see, don’t get your hopes up but sounds like you think he’s ready for origin so good luck managing those feelings

Ill take your cash off ya, wanna bet !

 

[Harry Oz]

I think people are looking at how Hopoate struggled when he came back to the game after 2 years out, and using that as their yard stick for how Xerri will do. But they are 2 very different examples. Hopoate was walking around pushing bibles down peoples throats, and Xerri has been training the house down to stay fresh and fit.
Xerri is an out and out talent, and I will be very surprised if he doesn't start round 1. Sure enough he will still take time to get his timing right, but fitness won't be an issue, nor motivation!!

How Taaffe and Tracey go in pre-season will be factors as well. And possibly Wilson, Skelton too.
Eels & Sharks are not really the best games to test whether someone is ready or not.
A good point was made earlier in this thread that coaches will not have an idea how Xerri will handle all the physical demands of playing at top level every week, etc until he has actually played for a couple of weeks, even if in NSW cup.
If Xerri is not ready then he will be tested & found out.
So with some depth in outside backs why take a risk?

 

[ChesoBulldog]

Ill take your cash off ya, wanna bet !

Ok

 

[Bulldogs09]

I think people are looking at how Hopoate struggled when he came back to the game after 2 years out, and using that as their yard stick for how Xerri will do. But they are 2 very different examples. Hopoate was walking around pushing bibles down peoples throats, and Xerri has been training the house down to stay fresh and fit.
Xerri is an out and out talent, and I will be very surprised if he doesn't start round 1. Sure enough he will still take time to get his timing right, but fitness won't be an issue, nor motivation!!

That’s not it for me. I doubt very much hoops just stopped training and got lazy during his time off. These guys don’t get to the elite level with lack of enjoyment in exercise.

I just think it’s a case Hoppa was set for life with the eels and us.

Xerri hasn’t been paid yet. He’s a bloke with a black mark on his name as a guy that was touted to be international star.

I think the drive for redemption and the $ is the reason he will thrive. Mentally he wants it.

Hoppa simply already had it.

Also think he was just a nice guy. No doubt xerri has some **** in him.

 

[TwinTurbo]

How Taaffe and Tracey go in pre-season will be factors as well. And possibly Wilson, Skelton too.
Eels & Sharks are not really the best games to test whether someone is ready or not.
A good point was made earlier in this thread that coaches will not have an idea how Xerri will handle all the physical demands of playing at top level every week, etc until he has actually played for a couple of weeks, even if in NSW cup.
If Xerri is not ready then he will be tested & found out.
So with some depth in outside backs why take a risk?

Most people consider Cronulla will finish in the 8, Parramatta about 50/50, so it would seem to me that they are pretty decent teams to trial against.

I alway find it strange that all so often on here it is said that NSW Cup is miles below NRL standard and just because a players goes OK there doesn't mean that they will be any good in NRL. Yet some think that testing a player's ability to handle "physical demands" can be done in a NSW Cup game, very strange.

If I wanted to test out a player's ability to withstand the physical demands of an NRL game then I would have them play every minute of an NRL trial, that's a better indication than a NSW Cup Game. If there is any doubt then do it again for the second trial, if they can play every minute of that game then that's far better testing than a couple of NSW Cup games.

Time will tell, so far Xerri has ticked every box that the coaching staff has thrown at him, if they decide he is ready for Round 1 then so be it.


Always a Bulldog

 

[D0GMATIC]

How Taaffe and Tracey go in pre-season will be factors as well. And possibly Wilson, Skelton too.
Eels & Sharks are not really the best games to test whether someone is ready or not.
A good point was made earlier in this thread that coaches will not have an idea how Xerri will handle all the physical demands of playing at top level every week, etc until he has actually played for a couple of weeks, even if in NSW cup.
If Xerri is not ready then he will be tested & found out.
So with some depth in outside backs why take a risk?

He'll be tested in the Sharks game for sure. He will be marking either Talakai or Ramien, we will know exactly where he is at after that

 

[flamebouyant]

That’s not it for me. I doubt very much hoops just stopped training and got lazy during his time off. These guys don’t get to the elite level with lack of enjoyment in exercise.

I just think it’s a case Hoppa was set for life with the eels and us.

Xerri hasn’t been paid yet. He’s a bloke with a black mark on his name as a guy that was touted to be international star.

I think the drive for redemption and the $ is the reason he will thrive. Mentally he wants it.

Hoppa simply already had it.

Also think he was just a nice guy. No doubt xerri has some **** in him.

I don't mean to suggest that he stopped training all together. Of course he didn't!! I just think that they are 2 different scenarios. Hopoate had God and his religion first and foremost, and Xerri had his burning desire to again play NRLol.

 

[flamebouyant]

How Taaffe and Tracey go in pre-season will be factors as well. And possibly Wilson, Skelton too.
Eels & Sharks are not really the best games to test whether someone is ready or not.
A good point was made earlier in this thread that coaches will not have an idea how Xerri will handle all the physical demands of playing at top level every week, etc until he has actually played for a couple of weeks, even if in NSW cup.
If Xerri is not ready then he will be tested & found out.
So with some depth in outside backs why take a risk?

I guess we will juat have to wait and see. But if the training staff are throwing everything at him to see where he is at, and he excels, then there is no reason why he should not be picked. At the end of the day you pick the best team possible each week. He will either make the cut, or spend some time in cup before returning. So long as we have depth in his position I will be happy either way. However, it's my opinion that he will make the round 1 team.

 

[D0GMATIC]

I don't mean to suggest that he stopped training all together. Of course he didn't!! I just think that they are 2 different scenarios. Hopoate had God and his religion first and foremost, and Xerri had his burning desire to again play NRLol.

Are you suggesting hoppa was relying on the football gods ?

 

[CrittaMagic69]

I think people are looking at how Hopoate struggled when he came back to the game after 2 years out, and using that as their yard stick for how Xerri will do. But they are 2 very different examples. Hopoate was walking around pushing bibles down peoples throats, and Xerri has been training the house down to stay fresh and fit.
Xerri is an out and out talent, and I will be very surprised if he doesn't start round 1. Sure enough he will still take time to get his timing right, but fitness won't be an issue, nor motivation!!

Hoppa also wasn't a drug cheat.

 

[flamebouyant]

Are you suggesting hoppa was relying on the football gods ?

Maybe.....

 

[Micko]

yeah nah he needs time in reggies. He isn’t game fit. Game has changed a lot in the 4 years he’s been missing too. Anyway you’ll see, don’t get your hopes up but sounds like you think he’s ready for origin so good luck managing those feelings

To be fair he was most likely about to play origin before his ban. And certainly one of the best centres at the time.

The game has changed over the last few years but that doesn’t mean that Xeri won’t keep up. Or that he can’t make the first grade team from round one.
I agree he may need some time adjusting after so much time off but he still will most likely be better than the majority of our outside backs.

 

[ChesoBulldog]

To be fair he was most likely about to play origin before his ban. And certainly one of the best centres at the time.

The game has changed over the last few years but that doesn’t mean that Xeri won’t keep up. Or that he can’t make the first grade team from round one.
I agree he may need some time adjusting after so much time off but he still will most likely be better than the majority of our outside backs.

Just wanna clarify I think he will be fine but I’m just saying he won’t be ready straight out the gate
People have to be patient
Give him 6 weeks playing week to week