Saint, Sinner, Shoosh: Bronson Xerri’s NRL return, Sergis does league proud

Has Bronson Xerri been doing too much weights and not enough speed work, which NRL hooker is being called a ball hog? That and more in Australia’s best sporting gossip column.

Former Sharks speedster Bronson Xerri.

Banned NRL player Bronson Xerri is looking more like a front-rower than a centre after his two years on the sidelines for steroid use. Or more like a bodybuilder than a rugby league footballer.

While some NRL talent scouts have doubts he can get his explosive speed back, renowned sprint coach Roger Fabri insists otherwise.

It hasn’t helped that Xerri is also banned from training in Fabri’s squad because he is a fully registered athletics coach with ASADA.

“We have full intentions to get back together when his suspension is up,” Fabri said.

“I think he’ll get his pace back. You’re either born with speed or you’re not.

Stream every game of every round of the 2022 NRL Telstra Premiership Season Live & Ad-Break Free During Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

Former Sharks speedster Bronson Xerri.

“Bronson was born with it. When he was previously training in our squad he was running the same times or even slightly quicker than Jason Saab.

“I agree his body shape has changed but if he really wants to get his speed back I can guarantee we’ll make it happen.”

The 21-year-old former Cronulla Sharks player is just three months away from being able to sign with an NRL club to resume his career in 2024.

The Sunday Telegraph understands a number of clubs are interested, although renowned NRL recruitment guru Peter O’Sullivan has his doubts.

“He’d need to change his body shape to play league again,” O’Sullivan said.

“He was obviously a terrific player but you lose speed, flexibility and range of movement when you’re as big and strong as he’s looking.”

Xerri was once regarded as one of the game’s hottest young players, a lightning quick centre who played 22 games for the Sharks before his ban.

SAINT

Emma McKeon. An extraordinary 20 medals (14 gold, one silver and five bronze) from three Commonwealth Games campaigns. She is not just a champion swimmer but a wonderful sporting ambassador.

Emma McKeon added to her stunning medal haul at the Commonwealth Games. Picture: Michael Klein

SINNER

Stuart Ayres’ handling of Sydney’s stadium funding has been disappointing to say the least. A promised $800 million for Accor. Scrapped. A promised $800m for suburban grounds. Scrapped. Now Sydney has been left with one shiny new $900m stadium in Moore Park, no parking and a venue too small to host State of Origin or NRL grand finals. Plus a $450m stadium in Ayres’ own seat for one NRL team to play just 12 games a year. It’s enough money to build 1000 new properties for those in Lismore who lost their homes in the floods.

SHOOSH

We’re loving the resurgence in Australian boxing via George Kambosos, Tim Tszyu and Jai Opetaia but putting Paul Gallen in the ring to bash up two retired old footy players – Ben Hannant and Justin Hodges – is turning the sport into a circus. The same can be said of Sonny Bill Williams fighting 48-year-old retired UFC brawler Mark Hunt.

SHOOSH

Which NRL hooker is being described by his teammates as a selfish ball hog after countless failed attempts to cross the line from dummy half in the past month.

SPOTTED

The coach whisperer Bradley Charles Stubbs in Trent Robinson’s coaching box at the Sydney Cricket Ground against the Broncos. Interesting in that the whisperer was last spotted with Broncos coach Kevvie Walters while he had the Maroons in Origin. The self-taught mind coach charges up to $5500 an hour for his services.

Mind coach Bradley Charles Stubbs and Roosters coach Trent Robinson.

SPOTTED

A horse owned by Fox Sports personality Bryan Fletcher called Conrad won at Canterbury on Wednesday, sensationally backed from $6 to $1.90 on the TAB. Not that his work colleagues were able to cash in … Fletchy had told them it couldn’t win.

SPOTTED

Benji Marshall can’t officially start at the Wests Tigers just yet because he doesn’t have the necessary accreditation. He was seen doing a course for his certificate. Cronulla Sharks veteran Wade Graham was doing the same course, obviously planning for life after footy.

SPOTTED

Friday night’s Eels v Manly match at Brookvale was actually a home game for Parramatta skipper Clint Gutherson on the northern peninsula. Gutho is building a new house at Collaroy Plateau. The builders are flying a Manly Sea Eagles flag off the scaffolding.

*****

This is the lovely old lady who owes her life to NRLW star Jessica Sergis.

Barbara Leo, 82, took a heavy fall at Westfield Eastgardens last year.

She suffered two broken shoulders and a deep laceration to her face.

Sergis, who was shopping nearby at the time, provided first aid until ambulance officers arrived.

Barbara’s daughter Tanya says Jess saved her mum’s life.

Barbara Leo and NRLW star Jessica Sergis.

“We’d have lost mum for sure,” Tanya said. “The doctors said that when we got to the hospital. Jess took her own top off to put pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding.”

Last week, Barbara and Jess met for the first time since the accident and exchanged flowers.

It was the most beautiful reunion.

“She is such a wonderful girl,” Barbara said. “Seriously, the most amazing young lady.

“I would not have survived without her.

“And she wouldn’t even let me replace her top that was ruined when she saved me.

“You hear all this negativity about rugby league, but then you come across a person as beautiful as Jess. She is just amazing.

“Rugby league should be very, very proud of her.”

*****

The Commonwealth Games on Channel 7 have scored another big win over the NRL on Channel 9, even in rugby league heartland.

The Roosters v Broncos match lost out to the gold medal rush in Birmingham in the key Sydney and Brisbane markets on free to air television on Thursday night.

The Games did 153k to the NRL’s 129k in Sydney and 119k to 96k in Brisbane.

*****

The role of the NSW sports minister has been a game of musical chairs.

Six changes to the portfolio in three-and-a-bit years.

That’s why funding plans for stadiums and suburban grounds have been such a hopeless debacle and embarrassment for the government.

First we had Stuart Ayres, then John Sidoti, Geoff Lee, Natalie Ward, Ayres again and now Alistair Henskens.

Three weeks out from the opening of the new Allianz Stadium at Moore Park and the government still hasn’t signed off on the naming of the grandstands.

Will it be Artie Beetson or Garrison? Ayres was supposed to sort this out but didn’t.

What about the South Sydney Rabbitohs?

They now want to move from Sydney Olympic Park to share the new Allianz Stadium with the Roosters because the government reneged on plans to refurbish Accor Stadium.

Former NSW Sports Minister Stuart Ayres. Picture: David Swift

Yet Venues NSW wants them to stay at Accor so that it doesn’t become a white elephant.

This is such a mess.

Meanwhile, Premier Dominic Perrottet has backflipped and scrapped promised funding for Manly, the Sharks and Wests Tigers.

He wants to keep the cash for the flood victims, which is fair enough.

Yet at the same time he is prepared to spend $450 million on a new stadium to shore up support for Ayres in his Penrith seat.

Never mind there is nothing wrong with their current stadium.

Never mind that only one NRL club, the Panthers, will play just 12 games a year there.

Never mind we’ll probably have a seventh sports minister by the time this is all sorted.

It is a complete fiasco.

*****

Shane Flanagan won’t be taking up an offer to help out struggling coach Justin Holbrook at the Gold Coast Titans. The 2016 premiership-winning coach was recently approached to become a coaching consultant.

Flanagan has too many other commitments. He’s working full-time at St George Illawarra in the football department and has good media gigs with Fox Sports and 2GB.

These are positions he would only give up for a head coaching role.

Shane Flanagan, left, was approached to become a coaching consultant at the Titans. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

*****

Former Wests Tigers general manager of football Adam Hartigan has been snapped up by Phil Gould at the Canterbury Bulldogs as general manager of pathways. Hartigan lost his job last year when the Wests Tigers signed four-time premier coach Tim Sheens. He previously worked at the Sydney Roosters.

*****

The Canterbury Bulldogs will always be a rugby league financial powerhouse – thanks to the gambling habits of their locals.

A study has found that poker machine players in the Canterbury Bankstown LGA lost a staggering $562 million last year – the most of any area in the state.

Not that the Bulldogs are taking all the profits – there’s also Canterbury-Hurlstone Park RSL, Campsie RSL and Bankstown Sports in the LGA.

Punters in other rugby league strongholds lost heavily on the pokies too – in Parramatta ($187m), Penrith ($180m) and Newcastle ($170m).

*****

The first ever Australian Schoolboys rugby league team – and still arguably the best – celebrated their 50-year reunion at Easts Leagues club on Saturday.

The 1972 team played 12 games on the tour of England, winning all of them by an average of 32 points.

Coached by Roy Masters, the squad included boys who went on to become household rugby league names – captain Royce Ayliffe (Keira Boys High School, Wollongong) Ian Schubert (Wauchope High School), Craig Young (Corrimal High School), Les Boyd (Nyngan High School), Robert Finch (Maitland Boys High School) and Brian Hetherington (Figtree High School).

The 1972 Australian Schoolboys team.

*****

There is an important fundraiser next weekend for the Perry Cross Spinal Research Foundation and young footy player, Kurt Drysdale, who is now wheelchair bound.

Gym owner Gary Ross is taking on the most gruelling physical challenge – he’ll lift and squat around 45,000 kilograms in under 30 minutes. That’s 500 repetitions of weights between 40kg and 120kg non-stop for half an hour. Not bad for a 61-year-old.

You can donate at https://squat-deadlift-challenge.raisely.com

Originally published as Saint, Sinner, Shoosh: Bronson Xerri’s NRL return, Sergis does league proud