After Josh Addo-Carr returned two positive results from roadside drug testing last month, Canterbury, an NRL team, fired him with immediate effect.
The Australian Test winger’s fate was sealed on Thursday when he was made to appear before the Bulldogs board of directors and defend his contract.
It happened a week before the team’s first finals games in eight years, in September, when NSW Police pulled over the 29-year-old.
A further sample yielded the same result, and the 15-time NSW State of Origin representative failed the roadside test.
Addo-Carr has insisted that he did not intentionally use recreational drugs and that he had a glimmer of hope that Canterbury powerbrokers would grant him a respite.
However, Canterbury’s board decided to end his contract on Thursday.
Bulldogs chairman Adam Druissi stated, Josh has been a significant part of our club over the past three seasons.
He has given our members and supporters a lot of unforgettable moments over this period.
We recognize Josh’s appeal to our ardent fan base, and we sympathize with their disappointment that his tenure with the team has come to an end in this manner.
But this season has shown how crucial it is to create a culture founded on unambiguous rules and principles.
The club considers the failed drug test and the ensuing lack of openness to be major violations of Josh’s contractual commitments and our club’s standards, even if the NRL Integrity Unit has concluded its investigation and suspended him for four games.
Canterbury will remove nearly $500,000 from their wage limit by firing Addo-Carr at a time when the NRL transfer market is about to go into overdrive.
Addo-Carr will probably have a number of suitors, although he might not fetch the highest price he did in 2021 when he was enticed to Belmore from Melbourne.
Since his second good reading was made public, the winger has been allowed to talk with rivals, but he hasn’t been able to find a new home.
In the 2025 season, Addo-Carr will have to play the final three games of his four-game suspension.
In addition to his NRL suspension, he was fined $15,000.
Samoan prop Terrell May has been informed by the Roosters that he is free to depart one year before the conclusion of his contract.
The Sydney Morning Herald claims that the strong front-rower, who was about to enter the second year of a two-season contract worth about $900,000, is free to sign a deal elsewhere.
The Wests Tigers and St George Illawarra are eager to sign May because they need more forwards.