Official Bulldogs sign Bronson Xerri for 2024 season on two-year deal despite doping ban

[Vlasnik]

Braidon Burns, Jayden Okunbor, Declan Casey, Corey Allen and Jake Averillo all off-contract at the end of 2023.

Talk about deadwood come on 24"

 

[cookieman909]

I know people say his mates with flanno. But isn’t he also good mates with Morrin? I’m sure I’ve seen them in a photo together?

 

[SPEARTAKVIDREFS]

Asking for a friend bruh..how many you seen ? Lol

Would be good for him and us..plus he will still have served over 3 1/2 years so still has been well and truly punished.

Quite a few now, he usually pms me pics late at night. Reckons he secretly joined TK couple of weeks ago. Told him Im not into blokes but with the amount of dick talk on TK lately he just asumed that every one here is gay.

 

[Moedogg]

ʙᴜʟʟᴅᴏɢꜱ ꜱɪɢɴ ʙʀᴏɴꜱᴏɴ xᴇʀʀɪ ғᴏʀ 2024 ꜱᴇᴀꜱᴏɴ ᴏɴ ᴛᴡᴏ-ʏᴇᴀʀ ᴅᴇᴀʟ ᴅᴇꜱᴘɪᴛᴇ ᴅᴏᴘɪɴɢ ʙᴀɴ
ғᴏʀᴍᴇʀ ᴄʀᴏɴᴜʟʟᴀ ꜱʜᴀʀᴋꜱ ꜱᴛᴀʀ ʙʀᴏɴꜱᴏɴ xᴇʀʀɪ ʜᴀꜱ ꜱᴇᴄᴜʀᴇᴅ ᴀ ʀᴇᴛᴜʀɴ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ɴʀʟ, ᴅᴇꜱᴘɪᴛᴇ ʜᴀᴠɪɴɢ 11 ᴍᴏɴᴛʜꜱ ʀᴇᴍᴀɪɴɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ᴀ ᴅᴏᴘɪɴɢ ꜱᴜꜱᴘᴇɴꜱɪᴏɴ

Telegraph Sport Dave Riccio and Buzz Rothfield

The comeback is on.

Bronson Xerri will attempt to overcome a four-year exile that has included working on building sites and training alone in his garage, after inking a two-year contract with the Bulldogs.

The contract has been ratified by the Canterbury board on the provision that Xerri commits to regular drug testing.

In a club statement, the Bulldogs confirmed the intent to sign the 22-year-old centre.

“The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs would like to confirm the club has issued a playing contract to Bronson Xerri for the 2024 and 2025 NRL Season,’’ the statement read.

“The club is continuing to work with the NRL Integrity Unit to ensure full compliance is undertaken, before Bronson is able to return to the sport in November 2023.’’

After a series of appeals, the former Cronulla Sharks prodigy was ultimately suspended for four years by the NRL Anti-Doping Tribunal in March 2021 after originally testing positive to testosterone and three other substances banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency in 2019.

The prodigious talent played 22 games for the Sharks in his rookie season in 2019 before the positive test.

Under the terms of his suspension, Xerri has been banned from any involvement in organised professional sport governed by the WADA code.

His suspension will formally expire on November 24, 2023, the point of which he will be free to commence pre-season training with the Dogs ahead of the 2024 season.

The NRL also confirmed that Xerri’s contract wouldn’t be registered until his ban was formally lifted.

In the interim, Canterbury are expected to provide Xerri with a personalised training schedule in order for him to prepare for his arrival.

Before Canterbury offered the two-year deal, the 22-year-old held meetings with head coach Cameron Ciraldo and GM of football Phil Gould, where he has expressed his desire to make up for lost time.

The Bulldogs believe that given his young age - Xerri will be 23 when he attempts his comeback - the gamble of attempting to return after four years out of the game is worth the risk.

A centre or wing vacancy could also quickly become available for Xerri in 2024 with currently contracted outside backs Braidon Burns, Jayden Okunbor, Declan Casey, Corey Allen and Jake Averillo all off-contract at the end of 2023.

Xerri has made no secret of his desire to return to the NRL.

He regularly posts photos of his bulked-up body, while he posted a copy of ASADA anti-doping paperwork with the caption ‘to shut you all up’.

At the time of his suspension, rugby league immortal Andrew Johns predicted Xerri would make it back to the NRL.

“To go down that line and take those sorts of substances is just sending an awful message and doing an awful thing to your body,’’ Johns said.

“The good thing is, he’s young. Young people make stupid errors like that and he’s most probably young enough that he might get an opportunity to recover from this.”

“He’ll come back, and I have no doubt he’ll come back and he’ll represent.

“I think he’s got the ability to go all the way in the game and represent NSW and Australia.”

Lol @ John's commenting on substance abuse.

 

[Dannyboi88]

He is young couple years out I’m sure if they giving him a 2 year contract they obviously been monitoring him and will do so and he has a point to prove hopefully still fast like it

 

[The Faz]

as long as he injects himself into the attack

I’m sure Ciraldo will enhance his performance.

 

[mez]

Poor choice of words there.

Or a great choice of words depending on how you look at it

 

[H-dog]

With his size is he going to be back row? or a decent 14 play a similar role to what Dylan walker did for manly. Although a centre pairing of Kiraz and Xerri would be one of the better centre pairings we have named in years

 

[Apex Cedar]

1. ???
2. ???
3. Alamoti
4. Xerri
5. Addo-Carr
6. Burton
7. ???

8. ???
9. Mahoney
10. King
11. Kikau
12. RFM
13. TPJ

14. Nu Brown
15. ???
16. Sutton/Davey
17. Frank the Tank

No Kiraz aye and your name is Omar Hamdan

 

[B-Train]

Xerri is well worth taking a chance on at his price and upside but people shouldn't assume he's going to look as good as he did nearly four years ago. Even with a shitload of training, that's a long time out of the game even for someone as young as him.

Hopefully he eventually gets back to where he was or even better, but people need to set realistic expectations for him and not expect him to be a superstar straight away.

 

[Vlasnik]

Xerri is well worth taking a chance on at his price and upside but people shouldn't assume he's going to look as good as he did nearly four years ago. Even with a shitload of training, that's a long time out of the game even for someone as young as him.

Hopefully he eventually gets back to where he was or even better, but people need to set realistic expectations for him and not expect him to be a superstar straight away.

B-Train you know you're preaching to the Kennel right??? If William Wallace was to put on a Bulldogs Jersey the Kennel would expect him to stand 9 feet tall and shoot fireballs from his eyes and bolts of lightning from his arse

 

[foREVerA7X]

Definitely not against this signing. He was only getting better before his little incident.

He has a point to prove and needs to repay the faith. Bring it on.

 

[GUSLER]

Is it #1 & #7 the missing pieces of the puzzle for 2024?

1.
2. Kiraz
3. Alamoti
4. Xerri
5. Fox
6. Burton
7.
8. King
9. Mahoney
10. TPJ
11. Kikau
12. RFM
13. Sutton

14. Pele
15. Skelton
16. Davey
17.

I would pick Skelton over Alamoti any day

 

[GUSLER]

Is it #1 & #7 the missing pieces of the puzzle for 2024?

1.
2. Kiraz
3. Alamoti
4. Xerri
5. Fox
6. Burton
7.
8. King
9. Mahoney
10. TPJ
11. Kikau
12. RFM
13. Sutton

14. Pele
15. Skelton
16. Davey
17.

I would pick Skelton over Alamoti any day

 

[Snake]

I would pick Skelton over Alamoti any day

Why is that? With all due respect what has Skelton done in league? I watched a bit of cup and he has some highlights, a few nice runs and a big fend etc but I haven’t seen much else yet. I’m personally an Alamoti fan and can see him having a break out year. Strong, fast, high work rate, bit of ball playing. Been in league a long time, made the rep teams. Try scorer in jrn Origin

 

[CrittaMagic69]

Why is that? With all due respect what has Skelton done in league? I watched a bit of cup and he has some highlights, a few nice runs and a big fend etc but I haven’t seen much else yet. I’m personally an Alamoti fan and can see him having a break out year. Strong, fast, high work rate, bit of ball playing. Been in league a long time, made the rep teams. Try scorer in jrn Origin

Alamoti is not fast lol

 

[Snake]

Alamoti is not fast lol

He is explosive over a short distance and this can be enough to create opportunities at centre. In full flight, no not fast.

 

[Cappuccino]

No Kiraz aye and your name is Omar Hamdan

Fake lebo.

 

[Cappuccino]

He is explosive over a short distance and this can be enough to create opportunities at centre. In full flight, no not fast.

SSSSSSSSSS
IM A SNAKE! A SLITHERING SNEAKY SNAKE!

 

[speedy2460]

I think theres every chance his suspension will be reduced with "time served" taken into consideration.
Theres a lot of NRL players who have done worse and got off lighter.
The club has a good chance of a reduction application being successful. Might even be 2023.