Former Cronulla Sharks centre Bronson Xerri has set his focus solely on regaining a spot in the NRL after tossing aside thoughts of an NFL berth.
Xerri hit the ground running in his maiden NRL season, crossing for 13 tries in 22 games in the black, white and blue as an 18-year-old before being handed a four-year ban by the National Rugby League Anti-Doping Tribunal.
The speedster tested positive for testosterone usage in May, 2020, however the ban was backdated to the date of the original positive result in November, 2019.
It leaves the flyer with just over a year before he's free to join an NRL club, and play his long-awaited 23rd NRL game in 2024.
That's if he can find a club first.
The Daily Telegraph has revealed that Xerri has reportedly joined the ARIA management group, run by popular player agent Matt Desira, who also has names like Daine Laurie, Martin Taupau, Tevita Pangai Junior and Jayden Campbell in his stable.
Interestingly, Desira also manages former player and future head coach Benji Marshall, who will take the reins at the Wests Tigers in 2025 after a two-year apprenticeship under Tim Sheens.
Xerri is one of numerous NRL stars to have been trained by sprint coach Roger Fabri, who spoke in 2020 about the youngster's potential after clocking an impressive 6.5 second, 60 metre dash, making him one of the fastest players in the competition.
"It's not often I see a guy with some serious speed like this guy had. Something that you would see from a track athlete," Fabri told WWOS in 2020.
"You know, people compare footballers to track athletes so often and maybe sometimes the athlete is a little bit disrespected on how fast they actually are - this guy is running times an athlete would be proud of."
Xerri had rejected a $500,000 extension with Cronulla in 2020 shortly before his positive result, while rumours swirled of a cross-town move to the Sydney Roosters to join close-friend and former Sharks team mate Kyle Flanagan in Bondi.
Under clause 10.14.2 of the WADA code, suspended athletes may “return to train with a team or to use the facilities of a club or other member organisation” during the last two months of ineligibility, meaning that despite being banned until November next year, Xerri can join a club and start training in September.
While the testosterone use has cost the speed machine four precious years of first-grade, Xerri will be just 23 if he returns to the NRL in Round 1, 2024, leaving almost a decade to make up for lost time.
It appears a question of 'who will' when it comes to discussing Xerri's return to first-grade football, however there's little doubt that at least one club will come forward and hand the young centre his road to redemption in 12 months time.
