Banned NRL steroids cheat Bronson Xerri shows he’s reefed on the beef since copping four-year drug ban as he posts musclebound photo
- Bronson Xerri was handed four-year doping ban by the NRL in 2020
- Former Cronulla star appears to have beefed out in his latest Instagram post
- Xerri scored 13 tries in stunning debut season for Sharks in 2019
- Centre is free to negotiate with any club prior to returning to the NRL in 2024
Former Cronulla Sharks star Bronson Xerri has cast doubts he will return to the NRL once his doping ban is served after appearing to add considerable muscle to his body.
A lightning-quick centre in his debut season for Cronulla in 2019, Xerri was handed a four-year ban in September of the following year for testing positive to steroids in May 2020.
The 21-year-old will be allowed back in the NRL from the 2024 season but if he does return, he may look very different to the explosive player who vowed fans three years ago.
Former Cronulla star Bronson Xerri looks to have stacked on several kilos of muscle compared to his playing days in this recent Instagram photo
Xerri is banned from the NRL until 2024 after testing positive to steroids in May 2020
Pictures on his Instagram feed suggest Xerri has beefed up from his playing days, when he tipped the scale at around 99 kilograms.
While Xerri has just under two years left on his ban, he is free to negotiate with NRL clubs as he’s not contracted to any team.
He became a footy sensation when he scored 13 tries for the Sharks during a stunning debut season, including a hat-trick in a 22-9 win over St George Illawarra.
Cronulla finished seventh on the ladder and were ultimately defeated by Manly in the elimination final, with Xerri scoring in the 28-16 loss.
Xerri is free to talk to NRL clubs about a possible return to the field when his ban is up
The 21-year-old scored 13 tries in 22 games in a stunning debut season with the Sharks
The 21-year-old appealed the four-year ban which was subsequently upheld by the NRL Appeals Tribunal, but largely remained tight-lipped over the doping scandal.
In March last year, however, the fallout from the ban had been a ‘nightmare’, but accepted he had to deal with the consequences of his mistake.
‘I’ll tell my story [one day], it’s not what everyone thinks it is. I made a mistake and now I have to pay the consequences,’ he told 9News.
The former Shark admitted the ban also had a major impact on his mental health.
‘I was just staying home and thinking about everything, it just didn’t seem real to me,’ he continued.
‘I haven’t even watched a game of football yet and I haven’t even touched a football.’
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