NRL 2020: Bronson Xerri’s failed drug test revives memories of Cronulla’s 2013 supplement scandal

There were signs something wasn’t right with Bronson Xerri all summer, writes PAUL KENT. But his failed drug test – which has left the Sharks in shock – brings back ugly memories for the club.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 13: Bronson Xerri of the Sharks looks dejected after a Roosters try during the round five NRL match between the Cronulla Sharks and the Sydney Roosters at Shark Park on April 13, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

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He provided one of the more beautiful moments in a game renowned for lacking sensitivity.

The sadness, among many, is that it was all built on sand.

Before round four last year Cronulla coach John Morris called Bronson Xerri into his office and, a camera secretly filming, told him he was being picked for his first grade debut.

Xerri lost breath at the news.

He welled with emotion.

He called his mum.

“Are you crying?” she asked her son.

The vision went viral.

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Bronson Xerri shares a touching moment with his mother after being told of his first grade debut.

And, at heart, it was a magnificent example of the change rugby league can make to a young man’s life. Around the league so many players come from so many backgrounds, each hardship their own, but from it a career in the NRL can provide a chance to overcome all that.

Xerri was regarded as one of the game’s great young superstars.

He came through the hard way and a career in the NRL was set to be life-changing.

After his debut against Parramatta he declared his family was his driving motivator. He got his first tattoo at 14, has his mum’s name tattooed on his neck.

“I was doing it for my family,” he said after the Eels game. “My family was very proud of me.”

Now his family surround him for different reasons.

Bronson Xerri (C) faces the toughest fight of his life. Picture: Getty

Xerri, still 19, faces four years on the sideline after testing positive to a variety of anabolic steroids.

The defence for professional drug cheating has recently consisted of claims of contaminated meat or shadowy supplements, the illegal drug hidden in the fine print or only recently added to the banned list.

It is hard to see where Xerri goes, though, given the cocktail of steroids found in his system.

To most they will look like a jumble of letters, each poorly placed, that spell a frightening list.

Who knows what exogenous Testosterone, Androsterone, Etiocholanolone, 5b-androstane-3a and 17b-diol actually are?

Xerri underwent off-season surgery.

Bronson Xerri at training in May. Picture: AAP

There were signs that something was going on with Xerri.

He knocked back a five-year contract extension at the beginning of the season.

He missed training in the early days of the COVID-19 scare, with club officials saying he was tested and passed with no flu but it kept him from training and he still did not play the opening two rounds.

Xerri was tested November 25 last year.

ASADA would not reveal why it took seven months for the results to return.

The NRL has no explanation why, either.

A variety of reasons probably contributed. The number and complexity of the drugs, the bushfires and Christmas break and COVID-19 shutdown would all add to the delay.

Given the number of drugs discovered in his body it seems almost pointless worrying if it will take seven months for the B-sample to be returned.

It can hardly be blamed on a dodgy kebab.

Xerri has established himself as one of the most exciting talents in the game. Picture: Getty

He was provisionally suspended and his phone confiscated and he can play again only if his B-sample is negative or he successfully challenges the test, which will not come soon.

For now, since Xerri has yet to give his side of the story, all we have is speculation.

That Xerri underwent a shoulder reconstruction in October might begin to explain the story.

He returned to training so small and so thin it was noticed.

Soon, though, he was back bigger than ever.

Of course, it is not uncommon for a 19-year-old to put on size quickly.

The NRL will almost certainly also launch an investigation into Cronulla.

This scandal revives memories of the doping scandal which rocked the Sharks in 2013. Pic Brett Costello

While there is no suggestion that anyone else at the club has returned a positive test, the supplements scandal that broke in 2013 cannot be ignored.

The club, still in shock, has no explanation for why Xerri tested positive.

Players are continually educated about checking what they put in their bodies, anonymous hotlines are provided, but even this fails that test.

In addition to the injury, there was also pressure to secure a centre position at a club where there was already internal friction among Xerri and fellow centres Josh Dugan and Josh Morris, all aware that three into two does not go.

The tension lasted all summer, with Dugan at one point said to be looking for a medical retirement and Morris later negotiating a release to join the Sydney Roosters.

Xerri – fighting back from injury, his recovery and drug test – was squarely in the middle.

However he got here, it’s shaping up to be a very costly lesson.

Originally published as NRL 2020: Bronson Xerri’s failed drug test revives memories of Cronulla’s 2013 supplement scandal