Source :- THE AGE NEWS
Canterbury centre Bronson Xerri has knocked back Parramatta to instead take up a three-year deal with the Melbourne Storm.
The Storm want to secure Xerri before the June 30 transfer window, but the Bulldogs’ depth in the outside backs is being tested and they are likely to knock back the request.
A rib injury sustained by Jacob Kiraz in the Bulldogs Friday night win over the Gold Coast has harmed Xerri’s chances of an immediate release. The Storm didn’t have a suitable player to propose for a swap arrangement.
The Storm have their own injury concerns, with outside backs Xavier Coates, Nick Meaney, Jack Howarth and Manaia Waitere sidelined.
The Eels and Storm were jockeying for Xerri’s signature, months after the clubs were engaged in a tense stand-off over the future of Zac Lomax. Ultimately, Lomax crossed codes, while the Storm have won the latest battle in their respective quests for an outside back.
There has been ongoing speculation about Xerri’s future after he was dropped following the Bulldogs opening-round win against the Dragons in Las Vegas. While he has battled his way back into the NRL side after spending some time in NSW Cup, Stephen Crichton’s recent switch from the centres to five-eighth has further clouded his future.
The man shifted to the centres to accommodate Crichton, Matt Burton, escaped suspension on Saturday for a hip-drop tackle on Titan Josh Patston.
One player who won’t be on the move before June 30 is Dragons backrower Luciano Leilua.
The St George Illawarra forward sought an immediate release, with Brisbane mooted as a potential destination. But with the Broncos’ finals hopes dwindling after seventh-straight losses, the latest to the Roosters on Friday night, the clubs couldn’t agree to an immediate switch.
Leilua, one of the Dragons’ better-performed players this season, remains off contract and there is no offer for him to remain in the Red V.
