Under investigation Addo-Carr could miss Bulldogs’ do-or-die final

Bulldogs bosses will meet on Tuesday morning to determine whether Josh Addo-Carr is rested for the club’s finals return after NSW Police opened an investigation into allegations he tested positive for cocaine during a roadside drug test on Friday night.

Bulldogs bosses will meet on Tuesday morning to determine whether Josh Addo-Carr is rested for the club’s finals return after NSW Police opened an investigation into allegations he tested positive for cocaine during a roadside drug test on Friday night.

Bulldogs head of football Phil Gould confirmed on Monday night that Addo-Carr, 29,was stopped by officers and returned an initial positive indication for drugs.

However Addo-Carr has not been charged with any offence, as further analysis is required on that test. It is understood Addo-Carr informed his club Canterbury-Bankstown about the incident over the weekend, but there was confusion about the outcome of the test - football boss Phil Gould initially claiming the test was “negative”.

It’s believed Addo-Carr went and had his own testing done on Monday. His manager, Mario Tartak, said Addo-Carr was adamant he was innocent.

“There is absolutely no truth to rumours that Josh had any issue. None whatsoever,” Gould posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday.

Josh Addo-Carr was seen leaving his home in Belmore on Tuesday morning, ahead of a meeting that will determine if he is rested for the club’s finals return. Picture: Tim Hunter

Josh Addo-Carr (right) is under investigation by police. Picture: Tim Hunter

However, after this masthead obtained a statement from NSW Police on Monday afternoon, Gould held further talks with Addo-Carr and his manager Mario Tartak. He revealed afterwards that his star winger had in fact failed a drug test.

“Josh Addo-Carr wasn’t playing but he was in camp,” Gould told 100% Footy on the Nine Network.

“The way it was reported to us by Addo-Carr] Saturday morning felt that he was rather very dismissive of it.

“That there was no drama, that he hadn’t tested positive to anything and that they allowed him to drive home and sent him on his way.

Bulldogs star Josh Addo-Carr is under investigation by NSW Police after allegedly failing a roadside drug test over the weekend. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

“That was his sort of explanation of events. I’d kind of forgotten about it until he rang me this morning and he said that there were some phone calls he got from players at other clubs, and his wife had got some phone calls that this was bubbling around.

“And then people in the media started to make some [calls] and I spoke to our chairman. I said, ‘I spoke to Josh about this over the weekend twice and his description of events is that we’ve got nothing to worry about and he’s got nothing to worry about’.

“But as it turns out, this afternoon, there are now conflicting reports from the police and the way they’ve described the events of the afternoon, which has led me now to sit down with Josh Addo-Carr and his manager face to face at five o’clock this afternoon to go through exactly how things unfolded and what’s happened.

“I guess in all of this what will happen now is the result of the second drug test will tell the tale.”

Canterbury-Bankstown’s head of football, Phil Gould, initially posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday that “there was absolutely no truth to rumours” that Addo-Carr had tested positive to the roadside test.

In a statement, NSW Police said: “About 10.45pm on Friday, officers attached to Auburn Police Area Command were patrolling Baywater Drive, Wentworth Point, when they stopped a Toyota hatchback for random testing.”

“The driver - a 29-year-old man - was subject to roadside testing which allegedly returned a positive indication for cocaine. The sample has been sent for analysis.”

Gould said he didn’t believe Addo-Carr had deliberately misled the club.

“I know Josh, well, I don’t think Josh deliberately misled us,” Gould said.

“I think his interpretation of the events was obviously his own interpretation and inaccurate. It’s probably led to now, where it’s hard to trust anything about that and it looks like there’s been some sort of cover-up from us and him, which is not the case.

”Anyway, it will all come out with the police. We know they have now been in touch with NRL integrity. But Josh vehemently defends himself.”

He said Bulldogs officials would discuss his immediate future on Tuesday morning as the club prepares for its return to the finals for the first time since 2016.

“Josh has indicated that he wants to play,” Gould said.

“I’ve spoken to the NRL integrity unit tonight, and as of this point, they would have no reason to stop him from playing.

The Bulldogs are meeting to decide whether to rest Addo-Carr. Picture: Instagram

“But that’s really now a discussion for the coach and the chairman when I sit down with him tomorrow and Josh again, and once we get a little bit more information.”

Police sources said that after Addo-Carr’s initial test returned a positive indication, he was subjected to a secondary test which was sent away for further analysis.

A spokesperson for the NRL confirmed they were looking into the matter and were “liaising with the club”.

A major operation targeting drug drivers, called Operation RAID (Remove All Impaired Drivers) was carried out across NSW roads over the weekend, with more than 470 alleged drug drivers detected.