Another Sydney-based club has been linked to Bulldogs centre Bronson Xerri, who is reportedly unhappy at Belmore.
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After one game this season, Xerri has been axed for the Round 3 clash against Canberra. There have also been reports that the 25-year-old has been told he won’t be extended beyond the end of his current deal (2027) and that he hasn’t taken the move from left centre to right centre in his stride.
The Tigers have since entered the frame and could look at adding Xerri this season if the outside back is able to negotiate an early release from his Bulldogs contract.
“You guys mentioned some clubs earlier (Eels, Storm, Dragons, Sea Eagles) and the Tigers are also monitoring the situation,” Code Sports’ Dave Riccio revealed on NRL360.
The Tigers have Taylan May and Starford To’a injured. Jeral Skelton is playing in the centres this week and the terrific young outside back Heamasi Makasini is still developing… so they are a little thin out wide.
“Benji’s agent is Bronson Xerri’s agent so there’s a direct link there and I know certainly at the football club, there are people within the team and coaching staff that would love Bronson at the Tigers.
“I’m not saying a deal has been done but the Tigers are looking at it and the Bulldogs have picked up on the scent as well and are aware that the Tigers are monitoring the situation.”
The Bulldogs offloaded two high profile players last year in Toby Sexton and Reed Mahoney, however, Riccio believes this isn’t what the Dogs are trying to with Xerri.
Instead, the revolt seems to be Xerri-led.
“When this story broke, my first correspondence with the Bulldogs was, ‘Gus has done it again and moving one another one to create space’ and the response was ‘not this time’. I can only take them on their word, so my understanding is it an attitude issue with Bronson Xerri,” Riccio revealed.
“He doesn’t want to play right centre, the Bulldogs coaches challenging Bronson to play on the right and he doesn’t want to.
“I reckon ultimately this one is on Bronson. It’s what he wants to do in his career… If the attitude doesn’t change, I don’t think the Dogs want a player who doesn’t want to be there.”
However, foxsports.com.au’s Paul Crawley isn’t buying it, pointing to the Dogs’ recent history of moving players on.
“Xerri may have an attitude problem that the Bulldogs may not like but the fact of the matter is they have said he played duress and injury last year, they gave him an extension and one game into the season after a win, he gets dropped,” Crawley said.
“But on top of that, and this is what doesn’t sit well, is that days before, his managers had a meeting and they’ve told him he won’t be extended beyond 2027. Why does that conversation have to come up now?
“The issue is that they’ve told him nearly two full seasons out from his contract ending that he won’t be required.”
The Bulldogs won their only game this season, the Round 1 clash in Vegas over the Dragons.
On that night, Xerri played well, making 24 tackles and running for nearly 130 metres.
For that reason and the fact that Xerri’s replacement is the hot-and-cold Enari Tuala, Anasta agrees with Riccio that the player might be the problem.
“The odd thing that I look at is his performance in Round 1 and the player they’re bringing in … It has to be the attitude because if I’m picking on performance, I’m picking Bronson,” Anasta said.
The NRL360 host went onto say that he predicts Xerri to be gone within the next month, a move that could prove to be a win-win for both parties.
“I think at the end of the day is I’m not going to comment on his attitude because we have no idea. I actually think this is going to land well for both because what’s going to happen is that the Dogs will free up some cap space, they have room to move Matt Burton there and if you’re Bronson, if you’re not happy, you’re not going to play well,” he said.
“I believe this will be the case and it’s speculation now, but I think he’ll land at a new club within a month because if it’s his attitude and he’s being dropped for a player that isn’t as good as him, I can’t see him working back into the team no matter how good he plays in NSW Cup.”
Originally published as Sydney club with ‘direct link’ becomes FIFTH suitor for fuming Bronson Xerri as Bulldogs axing laid bare
