Former NRL player Paul Carter tells: “I’ve had issues with addiction since making my debut”
FORMER NRL star Paul Carter has revealed he had issues with drug addiction since making his football debut, from a luxurious drug treatment centre in Thailand.
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DISGRACED football player Paul Carter has told of his downward spiral into drug addiction after making a successful first year debut in the NRL.
The son of Penrith Panthers’ legend Steve sought treatment at an exclusive Thai drug rehab centre last year, after being caught supplying cocaine to ex-Sydney Roosters team mate Shaun Kenny-Dowall at Sydney’s Ivy Nightclub in May.
The incident saw his contract with the Roosters torn up.
THE DAWN: Union paying for members to attend rehab
ICE NATION: A journey into despair
“I started playing football when I was six and grew up playing it,” Carter says in video made at Chiang Mai clinic, The Dawn.
“My dad was a very famous football player in Australia so I grew up around that and it’s all I knew as a kid and it’s all I ever wanted to do. So I made my professional debut about four or five years ago and I’ve had issues with addiction since making my debut. In first year, I was extremely successful, I played the whole year and got many awards and since then I’ve kind of struggled with my addiction which is why I’m here at The Dawn, to try and fix that.”
The Dawn December 2017 newsletter features a photo of the former rugby league player during treatment and says: “Carter, who has played for the Gold Coast Titans, the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Sydney Roosters, currently plays for no club in the National Rugby League following instances of misconduct involving alcohol and drug abuse.”
Carter completed his rehab at The Dawn in November 2017.
In January, the 25-year-old was handed a two-year good behaviour bond for the Ivy incident.
In the little-seen video, uploaded to YouTube by The Dawn, Carter tours the luxury rehab centre and spruiks its programs and features.
Carter says the regular counselling sessions at The Dawn helped him, and he enjoyed learning about Buddhism and meditation at the centre, as well as spending time at the swimming pool, in the games room — where he was very competitive — and at personal training and yoga sessions.
The Dawn describes itself as “Asia’s finest and most exclusive rehab”.
“In addition to an intensive and personalised drug and alcohol treatment program, clients will have plenty of time to enjoy an array of complimentary wellness activities and programs such as fitness classes and massage treatments, all of which are fundamental to your overall health and wellbeing,” the website states.
Carter did not take up News Corp’s request for an interview.