By Adrian Proszenko
Sacked Canterbury star Josh Addo-Carr says he hopes he made a difference during his tenure after joining the club at its lowest ebb.
Addo-Carr’s three-year stint came to an end when the Bulldogs ripped up his contract after he returned a positive result to cocaine at a roadside police drugs test in September. The premiership-winning winger had a year remaining on his $500,000-a-season deal.
Addo-Carr said he had left perennial powerhouse Melbourne Storm to make a difference at Belmore.
“I’d like to begin by thanking the fans for making me feel so welcome at the club, I came to the Bulldogs at their lowest point to make a change,” Addo-Carr said in a statement provided to this masthead.
“I hope I did that for you all. Unfortunately, circumstances won’t allow me to be at the Bulldogs any longer, and I wish the club and especially their fans nothing but success.”
Addo-Carr fronted the Bulldogs board at a meeting at Belmore Sports Ground on Thursday afternoon after being issued a breach notice last week.
Josh Addo-Carr leaves Bulldogs HQ at Belmore after his hearing on Thursday.Credit: Janie Barrett
He was flanked by his lawyer Elias Tabchouri, manager Mario Tartak and a representative from the Rugby League Players Association as he gave his version of events during a one-hour meeting.
After considering Addo-Carr’s situation, the board moved to terminate his contract.
The 29-year-old accepted a $682 fine and a three-month suspension from driving following the incident, but has always maintained he did not knowingly take any illicit substances.
He reiterated that position when interviewed by the NRL’s integrity unit, claiming he had not contested the police fine to spare his family and club adverse publicity.
The Bulldogs were keen to follow the correct process and allow Addo-Carr to provide his version of events to the board, mindful that Cronulla settled with Todd Carney after the playmaker launched an unfair dismissal claim over his sacking from the club.
The Bulldogs had felt let down by Addo-Carr after he initially told general manager Phil Gould the result of his roadside test had been inconclusive. The Bulldogs later learnt that Addo-Carr’s first test showed a positive reading.
Addo-Carr was then placed under arrest for the purpose of a second test, the result of which wasn’t revealed to him. Police allowed him to drive away in his vehicle because they were called to an emergency, which didn’t follow proper procedure. While he maintained he did not take cocaine, the results of the second sample, which came back a week after it was sent to a laboratory for testing, returned another positive reading.
In a statement, the Bulldogs said Addo-Carr’s actions had fallen short of the standards demanded by the club.
“Josh has been a significant part of our club over the past three seasons,” the statement read. “We understand Josh’s popularity with our passionate supporter base, and we share their disappointment that his time with the club has ended this way.
Josh Addo-Carr leaves Belmore after Thursday’s meeting.Credit: Janie Barrett
“However, this season has demonstrated the importance of building a culture based on clear standards and values. While the NRL Integrity Unit has completed its investigation and imposed a four-match suspension, the club views the combination of the failed drug test and subsequent lack of transparency as serious breaches of Josh’s contractual obligations and our club’s standards.”
Addo-Carr has been linked with a move to St George Illawarra, although coach Shane Flanagan has publicly stated the club’s initial focus was on securing Clint Gutherson from Parramatta. Gutherson’s transfer to the Red V, on a three-year deal, moved a step closer after the Eels released him from the final year of his contract.
The NRL-imposed ban means Addo-Carr won’t be able to play for his next employer until round four of the 2025 season.
Canterbury general manager Phil Gould had previously stated that Addo-Carr’s version of events held “too many contradictions”.
“At the end of the day what we have is a positive drug test, that there were drugs in his system last Friday night,” Gould said on his Six Tackles with Gus podcast in September.
“I believe he’s still protesting his innocence in that. But at [some stage] 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.”
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