The Return of Bronson Xerri
After a long period of absence, Bronson Xerri’s return to the NRL is finally on the horizon. His exclusion from the Good Friday clash against the Rabbitohs has sparked much discussion, revealing a complex mix of tactical choices, communication challenges, and timing issues that kept him on the bench.
Phil Gould has shed light on one of the more unusual decisions made by the coaching staff this season. He confirmed that Xerri will make his return in the upcoming match against the undefeated Panthers at Accor Stadium. This revelation also highlights the sequence of events that led to Xerri being left out during their loss to South Sydney.
Xerri will be officially included in Tuesday’s squad announcement as a replacement for Stephen Crichton in the centres. This marks the end of a period where he was dropped to the NSW Cup and had to watch from the sidelines while the game moved forward without him.
His absence in round five raised several questions among fans and analysts alike. When Crichton suffered a shoulder injury early in the second half, many expected Xerri to step in. However, the situation turned out to be more complicated than it seemed.
Gould provided a detailed account of the events on Nine’s 100% Footy program. He described a scenario where the coach was constrained by medical information, a limited interchange bench, and a reluctance to hurt anyone’s feelings.
“Crichton goes down,” Gould explained. “The medical team assessed the injury and reported that Crichton would be back in five minutes. They thought he was coming back. Cameron had used three players – Lipoi Hopoi, Sitili Tupouniua, and Kurt Mann. Sean was there to cover halves and hooker. If he put Bronson on, he couldn’t go and use Sean if one of those guys went down.”
Gould added, “He was told Crichton would be back in five minutes. He didn’t want to offend the doctor. I said you’re not offending the doctor – he doesn’t have X-ray vision, it is in the heat of the battle, you can’t help that. The coach was feeling more for the doctor. He didn’t want the doctor to feel he was angry about it. You have about a minute to make these decisions.”
With their captain now sidelined, Xerri gets the opportunity he has been waiting for. His first NRL appearance since the Las Vegas season opener is now within reach, with a centre spot suddenly up for grabs.
What initially appeared to be a dislocated shoulder turned out to be something far more serious. The medical staff discovered a grade 5 AC joint injury, which caused his collarbone to protrude visibly from his shoulder.
“When you see grade five, it is pretty ugly; it is not good at all,” Gould said. “I actually had a serious one myself 40-odd years ago, a serious one, and it is still sitting up. I can’t get it to go down. They are very, very painful injuries, but they are the sort of thing that can heal quickly – it is a pain tolerance thing.”
Once Crichton regains strength and reduces swelling, painkillers will be very effective. When he left the field the other night, the initial thought was that he had dislocated his shoulder. It wasn’t until they got into the dressing room and saw how limited he was that they realized the severity of the injury.
