{"id":555545,"date":"2026-03-21T20:02:18","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T20:02:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/555545\/"},"modified":"2026-03-21T20:02:18","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T20:02:18","slug":"bronson-xerris-summer-of-reflection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/555545\/","title":{"rendered":"Bronson Xerri\u2019s summer of reflection"},"content":{"rendered":"

March 22, 2026 \u2014 5:29am<\/p>\n

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Bulldogs centre Bronson Xerri has been wrestling with his place in rugby league over the summer months \u2013 and by \u201cplace\u201d, I don\u2019t mean his position in the team.<\/p>\n

Coach Cameron Ciraldo dropped the 25-year-old <\/a>to NSW Cup this week. It followed reports he was unhappy at the club and was set to seek a release. Ciraldo said the decision<\/a> was less about Xerri\u2019s first-round performance against the Dragons in Las Vegas and more about \u201ca number of other factors around training and preparation and things like that\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"BronsonBronson Xerri is out of the Bulldogs team this weekend.NRL Imagery<\/p>\n

Xerri has made some big off-field changes recently. Finding religion has been a significant one, but not the most. He has also questioned his desire to play rugby league.<\/p>\n

He has been through a lot as a person and a player, and it has started to hit home as he has seen the sands shifting. Xerri was involved in a couple of telling moments on the field in Vegas.<\/p>\n

The obvious one was the controversial play-the-ball strip<\/a> in the dying stages of the game. He almost became the villain of a huge match when he appeared to lose the ball, only to have Dragons forward Ryan Couchman penalised for a strip. That weighs on players.<\/p>\n

He also could have been the hero had a Connor Tracey pass found him in a hole instead of Marcelo Montoya, who was tackled into touch. Sliding doors moments, but you can\u2019t help but wonder whether things would have played out as they have if the pass was different and Xerri had scored a crucial try.<\/p>\n

\"BronsonBronson Xerri started in the centres for the Dogs in Las Vegas.NRL Photos<\/p>\n

There is a human being behind the professional footballer, and events such as a change of position and being challenged can create self-doubt. Without the right coping mechanisms, that can also affect thought process, and the results have been laid bare this week.<\/p>\n

The Bulldogs have been in Xerri\u2019s corner all the way, and gave him a career lifeline when they signed him after he served a four-year ban for taking anabolic steroids. Last November, the club upgraded Xerri\u2019s contract for 2026 with a one-year extension to the end of 2027.<\/p>\n

What many people don\u2019t know is that the club\u2019s general manager, Phil Gould, has a long connection with Xerri. His son Jack grew up playing with Bronson. Gould treated him with care and kindness from day one of his Dogs\u2019 journey.<\/p>\n

When Xerri reflects on the past week, he will agree with the notion that he dropped himself from the Bulldogs side. His decision that he was incapable of playing right centre meant there was no place in the team for him.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The \u201cwe over me\u201d motto that was displayed on the Bulldogs\u2019 Las Vegas travel T-shirts was in direct contrast to what Xerri was presenting to the coach.<\/p>\n

It was not a crack at Xerri when the players wore the shirts on their bus trip to Canberra this week. It was a reminder to the outside world of what the team stands for and something that Xerri will need to embrace in the days and weeks ahead.<\/p>\n

Cheik mate for Albanese<\/p>\n

South Sydney heavies say Trent Robinson\u2019s assistant coach, Michael Cheika, was the Rooster who put Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in his place when he entered the lift<\/a> used by the coaching staff to get to their players at Allianz Stadium on Friday night, when Alex Johnston became the premiership\u2019s leading try scorer.<\/p>\n

Albo wanted his glory moment on the field but, with the game on the line, Robinson and the Roosters had work to do. The PM was just after some grandstanding.<\/p>\n

\"PrimePrime Minister and South Sydney Rabbitohs supporter Anthony Albanese on the field at Allianz Stadium to congratulate Alex Johnston after he broke the all-time NRL try-scoring record.Facebook<\/p>\n

The irony is that Cheika grew up supporting Souths, but has wasted no time in becoming a Rooster. When we asked Cheika to confirm the story that he told the PM the lift was only for coaches, he wasn\u2019t interested in being quoted about something he thinks is an urban myth. He did know Albo from his time as Wallabies coach and his version is that they said hello to each other. Let\u2019s add it to the Book of Feuds, either way.<\/p>\n

What is certain: Roosters chairman Nick Politis told his counterpart Nick Pappas what he thought of Albo being on the ground with thousands of rugby league fans to celebrate Johnston\u2019s milestone. He is also refusing to apologise for the Roosters<\/a> referring to Souths as \u201cvisiting team\u201d on the scoreboard.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t believe they are crying about that,\u201d Politis said. \u201cIt just adds to the rivalry. They need to get over it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Madge stands up for Reynolds<\/p>\n

Broncos coach Michael Maguire has doubled down on his defence of Adam Reynolds in light of attacks on the perceived professionalism of his captain.<\/p>\n

Former Bronco Gorden Tallis has used his media platforms to focus on Reynolds, but more heavily on Maguire. Tallis\u2019 latest crack came after Reynolds flew to Sydney to appear on a rugby league panel show on Fox Sports the day after injuring his ribs.<\/p>\n

Tallis said the optics to Broncos fans were poor ahead of the grand final replay against the Storm on Friday night. It\u2019s part of Tallis\u2019 take-down of the Broncos, aiming most of his anger at Maguire, who replaced his best mate, Kevin Walters, as coach.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt some point there needs to be some respect shown to Adam,\u201d Maguire said.<\/p>\n

\"AdamAdam Reynolds goes down injured against Parramatta.Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u201cFor what he has done and for what he is doing. He has won two comps. One here as captain in Brisbane. Since he has come to Brisbane, he has taken the side to two grand finals. That is a great achievement. He has been in the NRL for a long time and played against bigger men. He deserves praise and the criticism of his professional approach is completely unfair.\u201d<\/p>\n

We asked Tallis for comment, and as part of a lengthy chat he said that he wanted the matter to go away, and he had nothing personal against Reynolds. But he is not the type to back away from a fight if more was said.<\/p>\n

No conspiracy over Tallis name removal<\/p>\n

The conspiracy theorists will think that Maguire had something to do with Tallis\u2019 name being taken off a meeting room door at Broncos HQ. He had no idea. Nor did the Broncos\u2019 chief spin doctor Grant Williams, who was using the room as his office. He was the only one using the room as no one else wanted to set foot in there.<\/p>\n

Mark my words, there\u2019s no feud<\/p>\n

Panthers legend Mark Geyer wanted us to set the record straight on a rumour involving two of the best-known families in rugby league \u2013 the Johnses and the Geyers.<\/p>\n

Geyer is a radio stablemate of Cooper Johns, with the pair working together on the Continuous Call team on 2GB. There have been rumours in rugby league circles, and also pushed on a segment on Triple M, suggesting Geyer had requested not to work with Cooper, the son of Fox Sports star Matthew Johns.<\/p>\n

\u201dThis is horseshit, but it\u2019s been everywhere. I was sent a link to it on Triple M. I sent Cooper a message saying, \u2018Welcome to 2GB\u2019,\u201d Geyer said.<\/p>\n

Cooper was shocked but knew the media was hunting the story. \u201cWho wouldn\u2019t like me,\u201d he joked.<\/p>\n

\"WillieWillie Peters \u2013 celebrating last year\u2019s Super League premiership triumph \u2013 shapes as the next NRL coach-in-waiting.Getty ImagesChiefs\u2019 pursuit of Peters ramps up<\/p>\n

We told you a few weeks back that in-demand Hull Kingston Rovers coach Willie Peters had strong support to be the Papua New Guinea Chiefs coach when they enter the NRL in 2028. The chase will intensify this week. His collection of titles is impressive, and he is a family man \u2013 an important aspect of being part of an organisation who will live in a compound.<\/p>\n

Former Parramatta coach Brad Arthur is well regarded, and there is a good chance that he will end up at a club next season. For now, Peters is the favourite for PNG.<\/p>\n

Dumb play from Fox<\/p>\n

The Fox Sports hatchet men must think their audience is really dumb. They were bagging Phil Gould for not opening up on Bronson Xerri in his role as a panel member on 100% Footy. Yet in the same segment they were discussing coaches who are facing the axe and throwing up rightly that Willie Peters is a leading contender for three jobs \u2013 PNG, Manly and the Cowboys.<\/p>\n

But they didn\u2019t get a response from his agent, Braith Anasta, who sits on the panel they work on. Fair enough that Anasta is given respect and not put on the spot and grilled \u2013 but give that respect to Gould as well.<\/p>\n

Hidden agenda<\/p>\n

The NRL has been quietly championing Channel 7\u2019s The Agenda Setters. It is smug that the AFL network is dedicating time to the NRL.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, those suits have been forced to drink a schooner of reality (to steal a line from Parramatta coach Jason Ryles). The AFL network put the program on its main free-to-air channel on Tuesday morning at 12.30am after the replay of the Academy Awards.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to set the agenda at an hour reserved for home-shopping shows. It\u2019s a shame, as there are quality people on the panel, including Luke Keary and Aaron Woods.<\/p>\n

The ratings for the rugby league version of Agenda Setters last Monday were:
Total viewers: 29,000 on 7Mate. A repeat of Jag on Channel 10 and Judge Judy ranked higher. It ranked No. 232 for the night and reached 123,000 viewers (streaming and broadcast). <\/p>\n

Ratings for 100% Footy last Monday were:
Total viewers: 217,000 (streaming and broadcast). Ranked in the top 33 shows and reached 1 million viewers.<\/p>\n

\"BulldogsBulldogs night out: Lachlan Galvin (left and with a hospital band on his arm), Sean O\u2019Sullivan, Jake Turpin and Phil Gould at Menangle trots.\u00a0XGalvin\u2019s brave act<\/p>\n

Perhaps the most amazing part of Lachie Galvin\u2019s rise out of his hospital bed into the starting side against the Raiders on Thursday night was his appearance at the Menangle trots to watch a trotter called Gus. It\u2019s owned by Jake Turpin and a number of players and the real Gus turned up.<\/p>\n

Galvin was there with a drip in his arm under his shirt. Tough and a team player \u2013 that\u2019s Galvin. He was in hospital because of an infection and was a solid contributor to the Bulldogs\u2019 gritty 14-10 win over the Raiders.<\/p>\n

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