Former NSW and Australian centre Josh Morris has taken aim at Bronson Xerri, questioning the embattled Bulldogs star’s mental fortitude after reports emerged Xerris was pushing for a release following his axing from Canterbury’s top-grade side.
It’s always a noteworthy momet when a former player steps out of the solidarity of the old boys’ club to publicly call out a current one, and Morris didn’t mince words on the Continuous Call Team’s Offload Podcast.
Xerri spent four years on the sidelines serving a doping ban that in Morris’s view, should have forged the kind of mental toughness required to weather a change of which side of the field he plays on or a stint out of the top side.
“The Bulldogs gave him the shot when no one else wanted to. And Bulldogs fans don’t forget that either,” Morris started.
“Like, he goes and asks for a release after they’ve given him a shot. And to me, like he had four years out of the game, you would have thought he would have built up a bit of resilience, having to play a different side of the field and cracking the s**** about it.
“I don’t get it, there’s no resilience there. If you did get dropped to reserve grade, well then show some resilience, put in good performances and get back in the team.”
Morris broadened his frustration beyond Xerri specifically, using the situation as a lens through which to examine what he sees as a wider cultural problem in the modern game, a generation of players who treat first-grade selection as a birthright rather than something that must be continuously earned.
“I just think these days players just expect to be first graders. If you’re not, you’re still a professional athlete,” Morris shared.
“If you get dropped, don’t kick stones.
“Your name isn’t on the back of the jersey. You have to perform and if Cameron [Ciraldo] doesn’t think he’s performed well, then that’s fair enough.”
The former Bulldogs and Sharks centre acknowledged Xerri’s talent, but made clear that ability counts for little if it isn’t matched by character when things turn difficult.
“Too often we see kids get dropped and then straight away they’re not happy. They speak to their managers, they agitate for a release and I just I can’t cop that, I really can’t,” Morris passionately commented.
“You’ve got to show a bit of character, go through the tough times right?
“I want to see him stay in the Bulldogs jersey. I think he’s a great player, but we’ll have to see … because a lot can happen in rugby league.”
The comments will add another layer of public pressure on Xerri at an already turbulent time and questions surrounding the long-term look of the Bulldogs backline.
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