NRL 2022: Josh Addo-Carr breaks silence on ‘weird’ links back to the Storm

He’s become an instant fan favourite since he joined the Dogs, but superstar Josh Addo-Carr has opened up on how close he got to a Storm return.

Bulldogs fans want to see more of this for many years to come. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

Bulldogs flyer Josh Addo-Carr says he doesn’t know how he would have responded if former team the Storm had come to him directly asking about a possible loan deal for the rest of 2022.

It’s a move that was knocked on its head behind closed doors by Bulldogs officials, including Phil Gould, even though a loan deal would have saved money on Canterbury’s cap for the 2023 season.

The Storm were desperate for outside backs at the time, with Ryan Papenhuyzen, Reimis Smith and Xavier Coates all out long term, but Coates has returned and they’ve snared David Nofoaluma from the Tigers for the rest of the year and are starting to return to their best.

Addo-Carr enjoyed a glittering career down in Melbourne, winning two comps and scoring 96 tries with the Storm, but he’s now the face of the Bulldogs and a late switch could have come across as disrespectful in his first year back in Sydney.

Josh Addo-Carr once scored six tries in a game for the Storm. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

“I don’t know, to be honest,” he replied when asked if he would have agreed to the move if the Storm had asked him.

“I never really thought I’d be in that situation. It’s a weird one. I only found out when it came out in the media.

“I didn’t find out about it until after the Titans game. Obviously, Gus and everyone behind the scenes were in talks for all that kind of stuff.

“Gus and the team behind the scenes thought it was the best for the Bulldogs and myself at the time to stay at the Bulldogs and focus on what I had to do here.”

“The Foxx” said Storm coach Craig Bellamy and head of football Frank Ponissi hadn’t reached out to him directly, but he said he was pleased they were able to get Nofoaluma for the rest of the season.

The Wests Tigers’ leading try scorer of all time has never played finals footy but will get a shot in the coming weeks, with the Storm poised to finish in the top four.

David Nofoaluma has settled in well since his move south. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

“I played footy at the Tigers with him and catch up with him here and there,” Addo-Carr said.

“I thought it was a really good move for him to develop his game.

“I always talk footy with him. I think it was last off-season when I was telling him about the Storm and what they did for me and my career.

“Hopefully, he can pick a lot of brains down there with Craig Bellamy, Billy Slater and Cameron Smith still part of the club. They’ve got great people and great leaders down there who drive the standards.”

While Nofoaluma will play on the big stage for the first time, Addo-Carr is getting ready to be a finals spectator for the first time since his lone season with the Tigers in 2016.

“I don’t really think about that too much. I just think about what I can control and I try to keep playing good footy for the Bulldogs,” he said.

“I’m disappointed we didn’t make the finals this year, but there were a lot of hurdles and obstacles that we had to overcome.

“I see a lot of potential in the team that we’ve got and with a new coach (Cameron Ciraldo) signing, I think he sees the potential as well.”