Bronson Xerri has broken his silence since returning to pre-season training with the Bulldogs following his four-year doping ban.
Xerri revealed to The Sydney Morning Herald that he was nervous about his first NRL training session with his new club.
“Walking in was pretty nerve-racking, but the boys were very welcoming and so were the staff,” Xerri told the newspaper.
“I was just itching to get on the field and get among the boys and as hard as it was, I enjoyed it.”
The 23-year-old signed a two-year contract with the Bulldogs after missing four years due to a failed drug test ahead of the 2020 season.
He tested positive for exogenous Testosterone and its metabolites Androsterone, Etiocholanolone, and 5b-androstane-3a, 17b-diol in November 2019.
Xerri scored 13 tries in 22 games for the Sharks in his rookie season in 2019 and was regarded as a future NSW Origin player by Immortal Andrew Johns.
The game has gotten even faster in the four years since Xerri last played because of new rules, such as the six again rule, which was designed to reduce game stoppages.
The Bulldogs went through a grueling fitness session at Belmore Oval, and while Xerri admitted it was difficult, he is looking forward to the challenge of a big pre-season after being away from rugby league for so long.
“I’ve been training hard for this and honestly, that was tough,” she said.
“But as hard as it was, I enjoyed every minute of it and I’m just keen to keep ripping in with the boys.”
Breaking into the Bulldogs’ outside backs will be difficult given the club’s abundance of options, which include Stephen Crichton, Jacob Kiraz, Blake Wilson, Hayze Perham, Kurt Mann, Blake Taaffe, and Jaeman Salmon.
Xerri, on the other hand, has set the goal of impressing coach Cameron Ciraldo and repaying his faith by earning a spot in the team for Round 1.
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