Saint, Sinner, Shoosh: Bronson Xerri nears drug ban comeback, NRL to act on Phil Gould
The NRL comeback of banned star Bronson Xerri is heating up -with one club emerging as frontrunner for his services. Find out the latest in Australia’s best sports gossip column.
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Banned footy player Bronson Xerri could be heading to the Bulldogs for his NRL comeback in 2024.
We’re told his new agent Matt Desira is seeking expressions of interest from a number of clubs, including the Bulldogs.
Xerri is serving a four-year ban for steroid use but can talk to clubs from November.
It will largely depend on how the former Cronulla Sharks star performs in an interview with incoming coach Cameron Ciraldo.
Ciraldo will want to see a young man who has taken ownership of his mistakes.
He is all for giving youngsters a second chance as long as their attitude is right.
Xerri has bulked up significantly since he last played NRL and looks more like a prop than the lightning quick centre he was at Cronulla.
However, his old speed coach Roger Fabri has no doubts he can make it back.
“You’re either born with speed or you’re not,” Fabri said, “Bronson was born with it.
“His body shape has changed but, if he really wants to get his speed back, I can guarantee we’ll make it happen.”
NRL ACTS ON GUS GOULD COMMENTS
Is the NRL finally about to pull Phil Gould into line for his disgraceful comments on the Taylan May court case? Maybe, maybe not.
We sent the following email to CEO Andrew Abdo’s media minders on Saturday morning.
“Guys could I please get an on-the-record response from Andrew Abdo re Bulldogs general manager Phil Gould claiming Taylan May should be “congratulated” for an assault on a teenager that a Queensland magistrate described as “reprehensible” and “cowardly”.
Why argue over when Taylan May suspension should be served? Why was he suspended at all? No conviction recorded by court. $1000 fine. Hardly serious matter. Video clearly shows he defused situation before it escalated. Why are footballers always wrong? May should be congratulated
— Phil Gould (@PhilGould15) September 7, 2022
“Is this acceptable behaviour from such a senior NRL club official? Is the NRL investigating? If not, why? If so, how? Buzz.”
We received the following reply: “The matter has been referred to us and we’ll look at it, just as we would any matter referred to us.”
It’s an interesting one because Gould can often hide behind the fact he’s a commentator. However the comments were made outside of his media roles at Channel 9 and were shockingly irresponsible from the boss of an NRL team.
SAINT
Russian Karen Khachanov knocked Nick Kyrgios out of the US Open to save Australia from any further embarrassment from his shocking behaviour and wild racquet-smashing meltdowns.
SINNER
The NRL’s decision to suspend Penrith winger Taylan May for two weeks but allow him to play in the finals – and then the World Cup – is the worst decision from the NRL administration in years and shockingly unfair on rival clubs that have previously lost players from big end-of-season games for various indiscretions.
SHOOSH
Channel 9’s apparent attempt to pinch the AFL TV rights from Channel 7 was so secretive that the network’s bid team worked out of a hotel room at Crown in Melbourne, although some say it was more a tactical move to hurt Seven financially. It’s confusing because Nine now deny they even bid. Gill McLachlan insists they did. So someone is telling porkies. Whatever the case, the NRL is angry Nine even considered doing a deal.
SHOOSH
It says a lot about the weak Knights culture that Kalyn Ponga and Kurt Mann have escaped punishment for the toilet cubicle video. This means the next player who spends a day on the booze while out injured can’t be punished for this unprofessional behaviour. Now we have a Knights NRLW player, Caitlin Moran, making disgusting remarks on social media around the Queen’s death. Seriously, what is going on at this club.
SHOOSH
SEN is making big changes in breakfast radio in Melbourne, reducing the roles of regular hosts Garry Lyon and Tim Watson. We’re hearing changes are also being planned across the Sydney market, where ratings have been diabolical for two years.
SPOTTED
Channel 9’s veteran Melbourne-based sports presenter Tony Jones has been overlooked for a Brownlow Medal invite — and he’s not happy. Jones had been a regular at the AFL’s prestigious medal function for the past 32 years. He had an all-time dummy spit on last week’s AFL Footy Show: “If the AFL is watching, you can get stuffed. It’s a crap night.’’
SPOTTED
Old league warhorse James Graham in a deep conversation over coffee with NRL boss Andrew Abdo at Fox Studios in Moore Park, no doubt discussing the content in his newly released podcast on concussion.
SPOTTED
Former Geelong and GWS Giants superstar Stevie Johnson enjoying the atmosphere on the hill in his Leichhardt Oval debut last Sunday. Too bad the home side were so pathetic and Stevie J didn’t get to see a better contest.
TAB PAYS OUT EARLY ON CHURCHILL MEDAL
The TAB has taken the unprecedented step of paying out bets on Penrith Panthers superstar Nathan Cleary to win the Clive Churchill Medal on grand final day.
It follows Cleary’s magnificent game against Parramatta on Friday night in a halfback masterclass as dominant as legendary number sevens Andrew Johns or Johnathan Thurston at their best.
It’s a significant payout by the Aussie bookmaker as Cleary is best backed with 18 per cent of Clive Churchill Medal market and includes some $1000 outlays. He was as long as $6 with TAB leading up to the first week of finals but is now $3.75 favourite.
All single bets on Cleary placed before Friday night’s game will be paid out.
“We’ve seen enough to think Penrith can make it to another decider and that Cleary will be the conductor on grand final day once again,” said the TAB’s Rohan Welsh.
“Punters have shown this week with their giant plunge on the Eels that they thought Parramatta were the best chance of ending the Panthers’ title defence, but just look what Penrith did to them on Friday night and look who was pulling the strings.”
CARETAKER COACH GETS HIS REWARD
Mick Potter is about to get a new gig at the Canterbury Bulldogs as a reward for his outstanding performances as caretaker coach.
The club legend dragged the Bulldogs out of a terrible mess when Trent Barrett was marched after 10 rounds.
Potter recently met incoming coach Cameron Ciraldo over coffee for three hours in the Shire.
He will be one of Ciraldo’s assistant coaches. It will be announced shortly.
Bulldogs chairman John Khoury has always said Potter would be looked after in the football department because of his efforts.
Potter won five of 14 games after replacing Barrett, improving the side considerably. He enhanced its attack from 9.6 points per game under Barrett to 26.8 in his 14 games in charge.
AFL’S $4.5 BILLION RAID ON NRL HEARTLAND
Cashed up with a new $4.5 billion TV broadcast deal, the AFL will attack grassroots opportunities in the traditional rugby league strongholds of NSW and Queensland.
Chief executive Gillon McLachlan says the partnership with Seven, Foxtel, Kayo and Telstra will allow the code to accelerate investment into community-level footy in the league states.
“The AFL Commission recently made a really important decision for community football by agreeing to enshrine 10 per cent of all AFL assessable revenue to go towards investment in game development,” he said. “This includes expanding our support of community clubs, players, coaches, umpires and volunteers.
“We know we already need to develop an oval a week, every week for the next five years to keep up with the growth in participation, driven largely by the huge growth in women and girls playing the game and also by the growth in interest in NSW and Queensland.”
The AFL has made huge inroads into the Queensland market.
Brisbane Lions games on Channel 7 outrated the Broncos on Channel 9 three times this year when their games clashed on Brisbane free-to-air.
SOCCER TV MESS AHEAD OF WORLD CUP
Australian soccer is in a world of pain despite it being a World Cup year. The A-League has been kicked off Channel 10’s main channel as a result of terrible ratings last season. Instead, two games will be shown on 10 Bold. The women’s comp has been bumped off free-to-air TV altogether and will screen on the network’s streaming services. The Socceroos at the World Cup normally provides huge growth opportunities. The Qatar showpiece in November will create enormous interest but whether it’s enough to lift A-League TV numbers remains doubtful.
JUMBO JET-POWERED BLOODLINES
The Canterbury Bulldogs’ Jersey Flegg player-of-the-year comes from a famous rugby league bloodlines.
Halfback Bailey Hayward is the grandson of Paul Hayward, the tough old Newtown Jets five-eighth in the 1970s.
The 21-year-old Bailey has been signed to a three-year contract at the Bulldogs and he is expected to be part of Canterbury’s NRL squad next season.
In 1978 his grandad Paul Hayward was sentenced to 30 years in prison in Thailand after being caught with 8.4kg of heroin in a suitcase at Bangkok airport.
He contracted HIV in Klong Prem Central Prison and was given a royal pardon in 1989, just three years before his death in Sydney.
AGENT ON THE OUTER
It’s interesting that Shane Flanagan’s name hasn’t been mentioned among contenders for the Manly job in talks around Des Hasler’s succession plan.
It may have something to do with the fact chairman Scott Penn will not deal with Flanagan’s manager, veteran Wayne Beavis. It dates back to Trent Barrett’s messy exit from Manly in 2018 and the role Beavis played.
Hasler’s agent, George Mimis, is now trying to position his own clients at Brookvale, including Jason Ryles.
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