‘It’s a waste of a career’: Phil Gould concerned after Xerri’s ‘mind-boggling’ drugs decision
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Phil Gould has revealed his shock at the drugs Cronulla Sharks centre Bronson Xerri tested positive with, saying it reminded him of days gone by when anabolic steroids threatened the future of the sport.
Xerri was provisionally suspended by the NRL pending a B-sample and has had his phone seized by ASADA as the drug authority attempts to uncover the extent of his alleged drug use and whether there was anyone else involved in it.
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The 19-year-old returned a positive A-sample for four banned substances, Testosterone, Androsterone, Etiocholanolone and 5b-androstane-3a, 17b-diol and has even promoted Prime Minister and Sharks fan Scott Morrison to wade in.
And now Gould has had his say, calling Xerri’s positive test a “waste of a life”, with the teen facing a potential four-year ban.
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“It’s a waste of a career, it’s a waste of a life really,” he said on his Six Tackles with Gus podcast. “I mean he’s a young man, he will hopefully come out of this at the end of this and get on with his life but there is no excuse for this.
“What I’m shattered for is that this is a young fella seemingly the world at his feet and a tremendous young talent and one who I’ve watched since he was 15 or 16 years of age.
“Why does he make this decision? Who plants this seed in his brain? Why did he feel that this was an option that he should take? It’s just mind boggling to me, it really is.
“Particularly in the area of steroid use and performance enhancing, because I honestly thought we’d got it out of our system, I really did. It’s staggering really.”