‘It’s a tough day for the club’: Bulldogs vow to not let Josh Addo-Carr drama be a distraction ahead of finals return

Bulldogs players have reacted to the news that they’ll be without star winger Josh Addo-Carr for the first week of the finals.

Josh Addo-Carr has stood himself down from playing this weekend as the Bulldogs star awaits the results of a second roadside test. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Bulldogs skipper Stephen Crichton has backed the club’s leaders to handle what he described as a “not ideal” situation after it was confirmed star winger Josh Addo-Carr wouldn’t be named to play the Sea Eagles on Sunday afternoon.

What was supposed to be a special week for the club ahead of its first finals game since 2016 has been derailed by Addo-Carr, who stood himself down from their finals game following an alleged positive roadside test to an illicit substance, with the club now waiting for the results of the second sample.

It’s a distraction they didn’t need ahead of their biggest game in eight years, but Crichton is confident the players can move on quickly.

Stephen Crichton and Canterbury’s leaders have vowed to not let the Josh Addo-Carr news be a distraction this week. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

“We’ve got a very important game that we’ve got to focus on this week, so we’re putting it to the side and the club is going to look after that while the players put their minds to something very important this Sunday,” he said.

“It’s probably not ideal for preparation and that, but the boys have been preparing really well.

“He’s been a key to this club for the past few years and a key to us this year as well, so it’ll be pretty tough, but the boys that will come in will do the job.

“Things happen, but it’s just the way that you react to it. It wasn’t the best situation, but the boys have a job to do and the club will look after that.”

Bronson Xerri usually plays inside Addo-Carr on the left edge and he says their only choice is to move on without the man he described as the best winger in the world.

Josh Addo-Carr’s experience will be sorely missed in the club’s first finals game since 2016. Picture: Emily Barker/Getty Images

“It is a tough day for the club, but we’ve got a job this weekend, so we’ll shut out all the distractions and focus on the game,” he said.

“We’re obviously going to miss him because he’s the best winger in the comp, so it’s going to be a big loss, but we move on.”

Bulldogs supremo Phil Gould addressed the media on Tuesday morning before the players had to, and while he’s the perfect man to handle everything off the field, Crichton has emerged as the ideal leader for this type of situation.

The former Panthers premiership star has taken to the captaincy like a duck to water, with Crichton making an impact on prop forward Max King long before he ever pulled on the blue and white jersey.

Stephen Crichton’s leadership has never been more important as the Bulldogs deal with unwanted headlines. Picture: Mark Nolan/Getty Images

“The first time I ever spoke to him was after a Penrith game when we’d just been smashed by them,” he said.

“I said I’d see him next year and he replied ‘I can’t wait. See you then’. Walking away from that, I was thinking that we’d just been smashed by them but I got a sense that it was kind of like him jumping on a sinking ship.

“He was always committed before he even got here, and then the moment he got here, he was the energetic guy who lifted the standards with his training before he started barking orders.

“It didn’t take long for the boys to idolise him like everyone at the club does now.”

Originally published as ‘It’s a tough day for the club’: Bulldogs vow to not let Josh Addo-Carr drama be a distraction ahead of finals return