Xerri elects to plead his case to anti-doping tribunal

Cronulla centre Bronson Xerri has elected to challenge a potential multi-year ban for his alleged use of anabolic steroids before the NRL's Anti-Doping Tribunal.

Xerri was served a breach notice last week by the NRL, and has now chosen to have his case heard by the NRL’s Anti-Doping Tribunal.

A hearing date is still to be determined, but is expected to be held in the next 6-8 weeks.

The 19-year-old has been provisionally suspended by the NRL since May for a positive test to banned performance enhancing substances, with results from his B-sample arriving earlier this month.

The B-sample concluded Xerri had tested positive for testosterone, and its metabolites Androsterone, Etiocholanolone and 5b-androstane-3a,17b-diol.

All are prohibited by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the NRL's anti-doping policy.

Cronulla has been paying Xerri's wage – estimated to be around $20,000 a month – since he was stood down.

He has not played in 2020 after missing the first two rounds due to a shoulder injury that required off-season surgery, before being suspended during the NRL's COVID-19 enforced hiatus.

Meanwhile, Canberra centre Curtis Scott has had five of seven charges – including assaulting police – withdrawn after a magistrate declared his arrest in January "unlawful".

Scott was handcuffed and arrested by police at Moore Park on the Australia Day weekend earlier this year after attempts to wake him while he was slumped against a tree failed.

The 22-year-old was accused of assaulting two officers before being Tasered and taken to Surry Hills Police Station.

Following the tendering of police bodycam footage in court on Wednesday, Magistrate Jennifer Giles said: "It is drawing a very long, frightening bow to argue that police can handcuff someone they are trying to wake up while sleeping under a tree that is not under arrest."

Scott is due to return to court later this week for sentencing on the two charges he had already pleaded guilty to, behaving in an offensive manner near a public place.

Argument over legal costs will also take place then, while he is currently sidelined with a leg injury.

Scott has played throughout 2020 while his legal matter has been ongoing.

His form has been down at times since arriving from Melbourne over summer but he is expected to come back into the selection frame for the Raiders' round-19 clash with the Warriors.