According to reports, the Canterbury Bulldogs are about to terminate Josh Addo-Carr, the underperforming winger who will be called before the club’s board next week. After being stopped by NSW Police and testing positive for cocaine while driving last month, the former representative winger’s future has been cast in serious doubt.
In addition to receiving a $15,000 fine and a four-game NRL suspension, the 29-year-old was removed from Canterbury’s painful elimination final loss to Manly. Even after two different tests revealed that Addo-Carr had cocaine in his system, he has continuously insisted that he is innocent.
Bulldogs manager Phil Gould, who at first supported the winger, stated that he and the board needed to talk to Addo-Carr about his future as a player. The 29-year-old, however, first put those talks on hold in order to concentrate on the birth of his second kid with partner Lakaree Smith. The Bulldogs have now given Addo-Carr a show-cause notice to appear before the board next week, according to The Sydney Morning Herald, opening the door for his possible termination.
According to the article, Addo-Carr has been called before the Canterbury board on Thursday to defend his continued employment after he reportedly lied to Gould and the Bulldogs and damaged the club’s reputation. According to the SMH story, many close to the club feel that he should be given a chance to argue his case, but his behavior is incompatible with the values and ethos the club is attempting to maintain.
Although Gould had previously indicated that there would be repercussions if his secondary drug test verified the initial positive reading, which it eventually did, Addo-Carr’s contract is still in effect through 2025. By recently signing Warriors winger Marcelo Montoya to a two-year contract, starting next season, the Bulldogs also cleared the path for Addo-Carr’s possible departure.
The Dogs backline has lost blockbuster winger Jeral Skelton to the Wests Tigers, and Montoya was Canterbury’s first new addition since the Addo-Carr scandal. In order to allow Montoya to return to the Bulldogs, who gave the speedster his NRL debut in 2017, the Warriors agreed to release him from the last year of his contract.
It’s always pleasing to bring a local junior back home,” Gould remarked in reference to the signing. “Marcelo exhibits exceptional passion in his demeanor both on and off the field. As he embarks on the next phase of his career with the Bulldogs, his expertise and versatility in the backline will undoubtedly benefit our team.
Gould hinted that Addo-Carr might still be at Canterbury in 2025 when he said last month that it was up to him to decide if he wanted to stay with the Bulldogs. Although nothing specific has emerged as of yet, it is believed that the Bulldogs have given Aldo-Carr and his manager Mario Tartak the freedom to consider their choices about a move in 2025. Makaile Ravalawa, a fellow winger, was apparently offered a trade by the Dragons, although it hasn’t happened yet.