There is no place in the NRL for drug cheats and teenager Bronson Xerri should be no exception, writes MARK LEVY.
The Sharks centre has been provisionally suspended while the B-sample is analysed and very rarely, if ever, does that come back with a different result, meaning Xerri could be rubbed out for four years and I think he should be counting his lucky stars.
A four-year ban would leave open the door for a return to the National Rugby League at the age of 23, but in my opinion the game cannot afford to hand out second chances to drug cheats and performance enhancers. The NRL needs to adopt a zero tolerance by imposing life bans. There are plenty of young footballers waiting for their opportunity in the NRL and I'd much rather see them given the chance to play for the Cronulla Sharks, instead of a player who's served a doping ban and thinks he or she can walk straight back into first grade.
I have no doubt ASADA is still waiting for its pound of flesh after that embarrassing "darkest day in sport" press conference in 2013, which resulted in prosecutions at the Sharks and the Essendon Bombers in the AFL - and that's it. I think it's reasonable to conclude the Anti-Doping Authority has an axe to grind, however it appears some of the other agencies have delayed the process by involving themselves in the investigation. It's now focused on potential criminal links to the distribution of banned substances, with Xerri's family in the spotlight.
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