The NRL have confirmed a backdated four-year doping ban for Cronulla's Bronson Xerri that will keep him out of professional sport until November 2023.
The Sharks centre was suspended last May, six months after testing positive to a number of banned substances, including testosterone, androsterone and etiocholanolone.
Xerri's B-sample was confirmed positive for anabolic steroids last September, when he was handed a breach notice by the NRL and faced with a four-year ban from any World Anti-Doping Agency-compliant sport.
The 20-year-old challenged the ban but on Tuesday had his last-ditch effort dismissed by the NRL Anti-Doping Tribunal.
Xerri's training and playing ban will expire on November 25, 2023.
"The Tribunal found that Mr Xerri intentionally took testosterone in late 2019 knowing that the substance was either banned or that there was a serious risk that it was banned," a NRL statement read.
"The Tribunal also found that Mr Xerri's actions were, on his own evidence, at best grossly negligent.
"The sanction imposed is the presumptive four-year ban for the use of serious performance enhancing substances."
Xerri burst onto the scene with 13 tries from 22 matches in his rookie 2019 season.
"I'm only 20 years old, so whatever time I get, I know I'm going to put my best foot forward," he told Nine News last week.
"I want to make my family proud again."
"I'll tell my story (one day), it's not what everyone thinks it is ... I made a mistake and now I have to pay the consequences."
.jpg?w=600)
