Sport Confidential: Meeting looms as uncertainty grows over Josh Addo-Carr’s future at Bulldogs
SPORT CONFIDENTIAL: Josh Addo-Carr’s career at the Bulldogs has come under question with his management to meet club officials to potentially clear the air.
NRL
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Canterbury flyer Josh Addo-Carr has launched an appeal over the punishment which ruled him out of Australia’s Pacific Championships campaign as he prepares to meet with Bulldogs officials on Friday.
It is understood Addo-Carr was slapped with a two-game ban and he was also fined following a fight during the Koori Knockout earlier this month. Footage showed Addo-Carr reacting after the fulltime whistle where he is alleged to have thrown a punch.
That punch led to Addo-Carr being severely punished and forced out of the Australian team. Addo-Carr is challenging the NRL’s decision and with the assistance of the RLPA has put together an appeal to try and downgrade the penalty.
Regardless of the outcome of the appeal, you couldn’t see Addo-Carr raced back into an Australian side that will play a maximum of three games during the tri-nations series against Samoa and New Zealand.
Because he was named in the Australian 21-man squad, he will be able to use the Kangaroos matches towards the ban, meaning his start to 2024 with the Bulldogs will not be impacted.
Kangaroos teammate Valentine Holmes will miss Australia’s game against Samoa because of a one-game ban. He was fined $25,000 after Holmes “engaged in conduct which has brought the game and his club into disrepute by publicly associating the game with illegal drugs”.
Addo-Carr’s future at the Bulldogs has also come under question in recent days. Rival clubs are aware but the Bulldogs would be reluctant to let the flyer go given his popularity among the Canterbury faithful. His management will meet with Bulldogs officials on Friday to potentially clear the air.
TEDDY’S MESSAGE OF SUPPORT FOR FREDDY
NSW skipper James Tedesco reached out to former Blues mentor Brad Fittler in the aftermath of Fittler’s shock split as coach last month. Tedesco is the only player who played in all 18 matches Fittler coached at NSW since taking on the role in 2018. He was handed the captaincy by Fittler midway through the 2020 series.
“I rang Freddy (Fittler) the day after (he resigned) to say thank you,” Tedesco said. “There was always lots of talk about him staying or going. I wanted to thank him for the last six years. We won some series and lost some series. It was disappointing how it ended.”
MURRAY EYES RARE TRY-SCORING RECORD
Kangaroos backrower Cameron Murray is eyeing off a rare try-scoring record when he lines up for Australia against Samoa on Saturday night. Murray is in the midst of a four-game try-scoring streak having crossed five times in his last four matches during last year’s World Cup.
Outside backs Josh Dugan and Blake Ferguson are the most recent Kangaroos to score in five straight games (2017) while only two forwards in Kangaroos history have scored in five Tests; Ron Coote (six Tests 1986-89) and Steve Menzies (five in 1995).
TIGERS BOSS PREPS FOR BOARDROOM BRAWL
Wests Tigers directors could have a taste of the independent review into the embattled club as early as this week as they brace for a boardroom showdown over the future of chair Lee Hagipantelis.
The Tigers have a board meeting scheduled for October 23 and Sport Confidential understands that Hagipantelis has every intention of being there as he prepares to stare down those calling for him to step aside.
By then, the club’s majority owners the Holman Barnes Group could be armed with early feedback from the review process, which is nearing its conclusion after a petition of more than 2,000 supporters called for change.
The review has largely centred around the running of the club in response to a decade of disappointment – the club last played finals football in 2011.
Those in charge of the Tigers have come under fresh scrutiny in recent weeks after it emerged that Hagipantelis was asked to stand down by fellow director Tony Andreacchio, acting on behalf of the Holman Barnes Group.
Hagipantelis politely declined and remains defiant in his desire to continue at the helm of the club as Tigers officials brace for the completion of the independent review – it is understood the full review could be completed by the end of the month and in the hands of the Holman Barnes Group by mid-November.
The review has already interviewed more than 40 people including Hagipantelis, chief executive Justin Pascoe and head coach Benji Marshall.
Surprisingly recruitment boss Scott Fulton hasn’t been among those interviewed. Sport Confidential understands that Fulton, who joined the Tigers earlier this year from Manly, was not asked his views of the club by former NRL chief financial officer Tony Crawford and Gary Barnier, who are conducting the review.
It is understood they felt that the review was more concerned with the club’s governance and given Fulton was relatively new to the Tigers, there was little he could add.
The Tigers are likely to be in position to act on the review next month and most interest will centre around the impact it has on Hagipantelis and Pascoe.
Their futures could have a ripple effect for others at the club. Fulton, for example, was championed by both men and has had well-documented battles with Marshall since joining the Tigers.
It is understood the two men were at odds most recently over the pursuit of Manly forward Sean Keppie. Sport Confidential understands that Fulton was keen to bring Keppie to the club but Marshall wasn’t as interested and the front rower opted to join South Sydney.
As a result, the club kept Alex Twal.
AUSSIE BOXER PRIMED FOR BIGGEST FIGHT OF CAREER
Aussie boxing star Sam Goodman has the biggest fight of his career on Sunday as the co-main event to the massive Tim Tszyu-Brian Mendoza world title fight.
But the No.1 ranked super-bantamweight with the WBO and IBF will have his eyes firmly on The Everest shortly after weighing in on Saturday. The 25-year-old from Albion Park is nicknamed ‘J-Mac’ after champion jockey James McDonald, who is onboard the Gai Waterhouse trained $17 outsider Hawaii Five Oh in the richest race on turf.
Goodman doesn’t really look like McDonald — the 169cm (5’6”) fighter is the size of a jockey — and when his coaches called him Hughie Bowman one day he replied: “Nah, J-Mac all day because he’s a winner and goes and goes.
“I’ll be making weight, then straight into refuelling and cheering J-Mac home in The Everest,” he said. “My team have called me J-Mac for years and he’s been great for me over the years on the punt, so of course I’m backing him to get the job done again.”
NRL CULT FIGURE AIMING FOR ANOTHER ‘KNOCKOUT’
Former NRL cult-figure turned leading boxing promoter George Rose is gunning for his second ‘knockout’ win inside two weeks. He’s up the Gold Coast hoping for another emphatic Tim Tszyu performance on Sunday. However, two weeks ago Rose tasted a knockout victory of his own.
The former frontrower laced up the boots, alongside brothers Matt and Trent, and played a key part in Walgett’s Koori Knockout victory, their first since 2014.
The side included two Dally M winners, Jack Wighton and Ben Barba, Souths flyer Isaiah Tass and former NRL player Joel Thompson.
The ex-NRL enforcer monstered a few up-front and even took the last hit-up of the game to seal an emotional win. One Rose who won’t be ringside though is youngest brother Trent, who underwent knee surgery earlier this week after snapping his patella tendon in the tournament.
FLASHBACK
An Aussie coach was the push for the Socceroos next mentor on this day 10 years ago after German Holger Osieck was sacked. Ange Postecoglou and Graham Arnold were the frontrunners with Postecoglou later given the job on a five-year deal.
SUPPORT FOR KYLE TURNER
South Sydney, Souths Cares and Family of League have set-up a trust to provide ongoing support to Kyle Turner’s family.
An online auction has been launched to help kickstart the fundraising in the hope of raising more than $100,000 to help with educating and health expenses for Turner’s three children.
A host of items have already been listed including a signed and framed Turner jersey, 2024 All Stars VIP package including flights, accommodation and corporate hospitality for two, Cody Walker and Alex Johnston signed boots and two signed and framed photos – one of John Sattler and one of Ron Coote.
There will also be a luncheon at The Juniors, Kingsford on November 3. South Sydney’s chief executive Blake Solly, Turner’s former manager Steve Gillis and the Family of League will act as trustees for the fund.
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