NRL Market Watch: NRL rivals eye Fox after Bulldogs meeting

After attracting headlines for the wrong reasons over the past fortnight, Bulldogs star Josh Addo-Carr has met with club officials to discuss his long-term rugby league future – and the NRL has handed down his punishment.

Canterbury flyer Josh Addo-Carr has been given assurances he will be at the Bulldogs next year despite speculation he may be squeezed out of the club.

Addo-Carr met with Bulldogs head of football Phil Gould at Canterbury Leagues Club on Friday morning in a bid to clear the air. At this stage Addo-Carr will be at Belmore next season but he has already attracted interest from rival clubs who would be keen on securing the Kangaroos and NSW star.

The Bulldogs were concerned about off-field distractions which they felt had impacted Addo-Carr’s form. While Addo-Carr had some reservations about the support he received from the club in recent weeks.

Addo-Carr still has two years left on his deal worth more than $1 million and the Bulldogs know of the draw Addo-Carr is to their fans on and off the field.

The stumbling block is twofold – his big price tag and his off field exposure.

Addo-Carr has had a tumultuous short period which prompted the meeting with Gould. He was involved in a fight at the Koori Knockout earlier this month which resulted in Addo-Carr being axed from the Australian team. He also apologised for uploading an Instagram post linking the conflict in the Middle East.

Despite indicating he would appeal, the NRL announced a two-game ban for Addo-Carr on Friday afternoon. The ban will be served during Australia’s Pacific Championships which means Addo-Carr will be right to play for the Bulldogs come round one next year.

He was also fined $5000 with $3000 suspended.

The NRL also indicated Addo-Carr must “ undertake appropriate remediation as advised by the NRL.”

Addo-Carr has scored 27 tries from 38 matches in a struggling Canterbury side since joining the club from the Storm last year.

Josh Addo-Carr has cleared the air with Bulldogs management. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Meanwhile, Wests Tigers forward Alex Seyfarth has re-signed with the club until the end of the 2025 season.

His extension comes just a day after the Tigers also locked down front-rower Alex Twal on a long-term deal.

“I’m really happy to sign my third contract with the club that I always wanted to play for as a kid,” Seyfarth said.

“Benji was a hero for so many young kids growing up, and now here I am being coached by him. I think he’ll do a great job.

“I’m looking forward to having a strong pre-season and being injury free. This time last year I was still recovering from pec surgery, so it will be good to hit the ground running.”

Originally published as NRL Market Watch: NRL rivals eye Fox after Bulldogs meeting