Condition revealed as Xerri’s NRL return date draws closer

His return to the NRL is still a way off, but in the meantime it's been reported that Bulldog-to-be Bronson Xerri will have to pass a number of drug tests over the next 12 months for the NRL to register his contract at the Belmore club.

It was revealed earlier this month that Xerri had signed a two-year deal with the Bulldogs following the conclusion of his ban for taking performance-enhancing substances, but new details have emerged about the regular requirements he'll have to meet before he can take the field.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the regular testing is just one of a number of terms and conditions that are tied to his NRL return as he seeks an opportunity to redeem his fledgling career.

The Herald reports that it's unlikely Xerri will be permitted to return to full training until his four-year ban is officially complete, meaning he'll likely miss out on the first few weeks of pre-season training for 2024, unless the Bulldogs go on to make the finals next season.

It's believed the NRL are unlikely to speak on Xerri's return until the date draws much closer and testing has been successfully completed.

Xerri has been applying himself in the gym, playing OzTag and working with renowned sprint coach Roger Fabri as he gets himself back in peak physical condition for an NRL return, with hopes of recapturing the form of his debut season, where he scored 13 tries in just 22 games for the Sharks.

To his credit, Xerri has largely owned his mistake since the ban was handed down and knows an opportunity to redeem himself is something not many players who've experienced a similar downfall ever get.

“This was my mistake, no one else's. Not my family,” Xerri told the Herald in an interview in 2021.

“I love my family, and the reason I want to play again is to make them proud. I know I've let my family down and I've lost friends over all this, but at least I (now) know who my friends are.

“I've learnt a lot from this and I hope that one day people will forgive me, because I am sorry. I made a bad decision when I was in a bad place.”