Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo has voiced his disappointment in axed outside back Bronson Xerri following reports the Canterbury speedster would seek an immediate release from the club.
Xerri, 25, has been on shaky grounds with the Bulldogs after reports surfaced he would seek a release from the last two years of his contract amid rumours he was set to be dropped for Thursday’s clash against Canberra.
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Those fears became reality on Tuesday as Xerri was banished to NSW Cup in favour of Enari Tuala.
Ciraldo gave a blunt assessment of Xerri’s situation on Wednesday, stating “a number of other factors around training and preparation” had been the catalyst for his demotion to reserve grade.
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Xerri’s discontent with the club is reportedly over him being moved from left to right centre during the pre-season.
While Ciraldo described the reaction from Xerri as “disappointing”, he also offered a blueprint for the under fire centre to break back into first grade.
“There’s plenty of people in the NRL who have reactions that they regret, and probably feel like they could have reacted better,” he said.
“That happens nearly every day in an NRL club, and Bronson might have had one of those moments – unfortunately for him though, his reaction was leaked to the media.”
Ciraldo drew comparison’s to former Bulldogs halfback Toby Sexton, who was dropped from the side last year in favour of controversial recruit Lachlan Galvin, as an example of someone that maintained a positive attitude despite a forced stint in NSW Cup.
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“I don’t want to go back too much to last year, but he was a great example of dealing with disappointment and getting on with your job,” Ciraldo said.
“Your first response sometimes you can’t control, but your second response you can.”
“Bronson Xerri at his best will force his way back into our team somewhere, but the ball’s totally in his court.”
News of Xerri’s potential departure has triggered a wave of interest from rival clubs, notably the Wests Tigers due to him sharing a manager with head coach Benji Marshall.
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Xerri’s fractured relationship with the Bulldogs comes as a surprise when the club handed him an NRL lifeline following a four year doping ban in 2024.
The Bulldogs will be looking to back up following their thrilling golden point win over the Dragons in Las Vegas with a strong display in the nation’s capital on Thursday.
The Raiders and Bulldogs played out one of the games of the season last year in round 10, when Ciraldo’s men scored 32 unanswered points in a stunning comeback victory after trailing by 20 at halftime.
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