After four years in the NRL wilderness, a Dogs lifeline has a “comeback kid” who is primed to go off.
The kid who made a comeback.
As Bronson Xerri prepares to make his NRL comeback following four years away from rugby league, his Bulldogs teammates are referring to him as such this summer.
Xerri made his NRL debut in 2019 as a youngster with the Sharks, however he was given a four-year ban after testing positive for exogenous testosterone.
Making the most of Canterbury and Phil Gould’s career lifeline is Xerri’s determination to become the next in a long line of rugby league comeback stories.
This is the reason the 23-year-old is embracing his new moniker, which Bulldogs captain Reed Mahoney pointed out to Xerri during a Thursday morning interview at Belmore with foxsports.com.au.
Xerri grinned sardonically and reiterated that he would not take his second opportunity lightly, thinking back to the times he nearly lost the game.
It was up and down for me; at one point, I was like, ‘nah, I am giving away the game,'” Xerri said to foxsports.com.au when asked if he felt he would ever return to the NRL. Then occasionally I’ll say, “No, I need
“I’m grateful for the opportunity and happy to be here, and I’m going to grab it with both hands.”
After his suspension, Xerri struggled with his mental health; he has openly discussed these struggles, calling the first two years of his suspension “down and out.”
He explained, “I pretty much just stayed at home and kept in my little shell because I suffered pretty bad with my mental health.”
“I actually started working as a carpenter on a job site for a few months after that, and in the last two years, I just started training with Roger (Fabri) to get my life back on track.”
But Xerri clarified that he gained several important life lessons from his hardships, such as
Before he was suspended, Xerri was one of the rugby league’s most gifted players. At just 19 years old, he scored 13 tries for the Sharks in 22 games.
Even though Andrew Johns thought he would become an immortal in the future, he needed two shoulder surgeries after his rookie year and would soon need a third.
“You don’t really know what you had until something is taken away from you,” Xerri said in reference to gratitude.
“The most important lesson I’ve learned is thankfulness. Upon returning, I’m even more appreciative to be here and in this circumstance.
“I didn’t want to go through that to learn what I needed to about myself, and I wish no one had to, but it is what
Indeed, everything occurs for a purpose.
“I’m here, I just have tunnel vision, and I’m ready to look forward. Whenever things get hard while performing physical labor in the field, I just think back to that time and how difficult it was.”
It all boils down to appreciation; I’m incredibly appreciative to be back here and to have been given this second chance. I believe I’ve developed a lot and have learned a lot about myself. Since I was also 19 at the time, I’ve learned a lot and who my real pals are.
Xerri continued by declaring his love for the Bulldogs, a team he had only visited for a few months during the 2024 preseason.
Other teams were eager to have talks with Xerri in order to determine whether or not the once-prodigal talent would be a good fit for their team. But his mind was already set.
“I basically told Gould I was going to be a Bulldog as soon as I left our first meeting,” Xerri recalled.
“Nah, nah, let’s just talk to other teams,” was his response. That was it—I replied, “No, listen, I want to be a Bulldog.”
After that, Xerri watched the Bulldogs’ difficult inaugural season under highly regarded coach Cameron Ciraldo from the sidelines in 2023.
The Belmore team only managed seven victories, giving up the most points in the NRL with
769, 94 more than the wooden spoon-winning Tigers.
However, Xerri never wavered in his belief in Ciraldo’s team, and he now has his sights set on a starting position in the centers when the Dogs take on the Eels in Round 1.
“We have amazing staff here, and I think the club is on the rise. There is so much potential in the squad,” Xerri stated.
“From the sidelines, it appears that the club is progressing and that there is a lot of room for growth. I believe that the only way forward is up.”
“I want to start Round 1 and give it my all, but first I wanted to get healthy this preseason so that when the trials roll around, I can prove that I deserve a spot in Round 1.”
It will not come easily. however, I’m willing to do it so that I’ll be prepared on game day.
There will be fierce competition among the Bulldogs’ backline players, Jacob Kiraz and newcomers Connor Tracey and Stephen Crichton, for berths.
competing to get into the centers.
three-time winner of premierships Crichton is destined to start on one flank, and Xerri expressed his admiration for the player he is eager to play with coming season.
Of course, having Critta here has been fantastic, and I’ve learned a lot from him. I think he’s the game’s top offensive and defensive center,” Xerri remarked.