Phil Gould’s telling three-word response to Josh Addo-Carr drama

Bulldogs supremo Phil Gould has spoken next steps in the Josh Addo-Carr drama, dropping a telling three-word response to a big question.

Bulldogs supremo Phil Gould has claimed there are “too many contradictions” in Josh Addo-Carr’s story as the Canterbury winger’s career remains up in the air.

Last week, the news broke of the star speedster’s alleged positive roadside drugs test for cocaine after leaving

Addo-Carr has maintained his innocence throughout the situation, despite the secondary test also coming back positive.

Watch the best coverage of the 2024 NRL finals, with expert analysis and every game until the Grand Final LIVE with no ad-breaks during play, on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial today >

Addo-Carr’s lawyer Elias Tabchouri released a statement after the second test came back, asserting that while the Bulldogs winger does not contest the facts of the police report, he maintains he did not consume any drugs not prescribed by a doctor.

But almost from the beginning, the situation has been murky at best.

Addo-Carr has reportedly accepted the $682 fine and a three-month suspension from driving despite maintaining his innocence, which Gould said was “virtually an admission of guilt”.

While legally the process is over, questions have arisen about Addo-Carr’s future at the Bulldogs.

Amid speculation he’s about to be cut loose from the club, Gould told Channel 9’s 100% Footy that it was “too early to say” if Addo-Carr had a future at Belmore.

Addo-Carr’s future remains up in the air. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Inevitably, the conversation turned to the situation on Gould’s podcast Six Tackles with Gus as well — and Gould wasn’t hiding from the tough questions.

Co-host Mat Thompson kicked off the conversation, asking: “Do you feel you’ve been lied to?”

“I’ve said all along that Josh Addo-Carr came to us with a certain version of events, and over time, that changed slightly from day-to-day depending on what had been revealed,” Gould began.

“At the end of the day, what we have is a positive drugs test, there were drugs in his system last Friday night — I believe he’s still protesting his innocence in that.

“But at somehow, somewhere, he’s going to have to explain to himself and explain to people that matter exactly how that’s happened and why it’s happened and then why we’ve gone through what we’ve gone through over the last week or so.

The Josh Addo-Carr drama isn’t over yet. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

“It was certainly bad timing and I’m so proud of the club with how they dealt with it, the way the players and coaches put it out of their minds and got ready for the weekend and performed the way they did.

“Now there is a process here. Josh Addo-Carr I believe on Thursday has a meeting with the NRL Integrity Unit. The NRL Integrity Unit doesn’t get involved on issues like this until it has gone through the courts. So what would normally happen is they would wait for the result of the second drug test — now it’s come back positive.

“They would then wait and see if the player wanted to contest that in court — Josh has made the decision he’s not going to contest that fine in court, that he’s going to accept the fine and the suspension of his license, which is how society deals with it.

“So far as the law is concerned, it’s now over, it’s a dead matter, the law has dealt with it.

“But it’s now what the game does.

“Now that he’s taken the fine and accepted the penalty from the courts and he’s not going to court to contest it, even though privately he’s protesting his innocence and saying he didn’t take the drug, he’s going to have to come up with some solution about how it got into his system because it’s definitely in his system — end of story, that’s what’s happened.

“Around the world we’ve seen some bizarre explanations of how this might have happened or didn’t happen. Josh has got to find out how it happened... it’s as simple as that.”

Phil Gould has addressed the next steps in the drama. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Gould said from there, the NRL Integrity will work out what penalty they want to impose on the star winger.

“As I understand it, part of their interview with Josh will be to understand how he represented himself to the club and what he told the club and whether or not they feel he’s misrepresented any of the events of that night and the ensuing days,” Gould continued.

“Once the NRL have made their determination, then it’s up to the Bulldogs club to deal with it and whatever they want to impose.

“As I said on 100% Footy last night, the future of Josh Addo-Carr, I will make a recommendation to the board on how I see the future going forward. That will go to the board for discussion, they may agree or disagree with whatever I have to say, they may have a different thinking on what’s happened.

“We’re still investigating, we’re still searching to find out what really happened. But at some point, there will be a discussion with his manager and with Josh going forward, it’s as simple as that and that’s what we have to do.

“And until such times as we get to that point, there’s not much more I can say about it.”

Gould said whatever the decision, it would fit into the club policy: “Club first, team second, individual third”.

He added that while it was “a difficult week for the club”, and that there was a lot at stake in any decision, including “the perception of our club, the image of our club, the standards that we want to set, the culture of our club, the young players coming through they system, and setting precedents for what may come in the future.”

Thompson followed up asking: “So you don’t believe you’ve got the entire story?”

“(There’s) too many contradictions,” Gould admitted.

Has Addo-Carr played his last game for the Bulldogs? Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Gould told 100% Footy that he hadn’t spoken to Addo-Carr since the second test had come back positive.

Speaking on NRL 360 on Monday night, Phil Rothfield suggested the NRL could impose “a three to four week suspension”.

But The Australian’s Brent Read tipped the final year of Addo-Carr’s $550,000 a year contract to be torn up.

“I think Canterbury is the bigger issue, the NRL will obviously weigh in with whatever they do, but Canterbury’s call will be the big one for him,” he said.

“That will determine whether he’s got a deal or not, it’s in the balance … I think there’s every chance they do (sack him).”

Originally published as Phil Gould’s telling three-word response to Josh Addo-Carr drama