'Mum was my rock': Why Xerri's return meant more than his emotional debut

Bronson Xerri choked back tears as his mother Teresa made an emotional speech after Friday night’s dramatic 30-26 win about her pride in how he hard he had fought to return to the NRL against Sydney Roosters.

Xerri, whose last NRL appearance was in 2019 for Cronulla, received a late call-up for his Bulldogs debut after winger Blake Wilson withdrew due to illness, so Teresa presented him with his jersey after the match.

Addressing Canterbury players and coaching staff in the dressing room at Accor Stadium, Teresa told them of the struggles Xerri had endured to earn another opportunity after a four-year drugs ban.

“It's been a long, tough journey - not only for myself, but for my family,” Xerri said. “There were some very dark days, so I needed them.

“My mum was my rock the whole four years so just to hear her say a speech after the game was very emotional, because she's the only one that's seen me through my actual darkest days.

“She just told the club how hard those four years were for me and for my family. She's just proud of me and how resilient I am.

"I think that any 18 or 19-year-old that went through what I did wouldn’t probably come back from that so I'm proud of myself.

“I could have just put my head down and not had that dream again and just not believed in myself but here I am, and I'm coming for more.”

After being selected for his NRL debut in Round 4 of the 2019 Telstra Premiership, the Sharks recorded a video of the then 18-year-old breaking the news to his parents that went viral on social media.

I just soaked it all in and I said, ‘I'm back, This is where I belong’.

Bronson Xerri

He had little time to prepare for his NRL return with the Bulldogs but the first person he called was again Teresa, and the club helped organise tickets for family and friends at short notice.

“I think that this was way more important and way more special than my actual debut,” Xerri said.

“Obviously, with what I've been through in the whole four years and to come back, you know that that was definitely more special.

“It's emotional thinking about it, [because] as much as I put myself in that position, I've grown so much as a person and I’ve got my close friends and family around me that helped me through those four years.

“Straight away I called my mum, I called my dad, I called everyone. I had to go back to my room and just really take a breath and say, ‘alright, my focus is the game and I need to put my best foot forward’.”