NRL Finals series in eight years, the Canterbury Bulldogs will be without star winger Josh Addo-Carr

Making their first NRL Finals series in eight years, the Canterbury Bulldogs will be without star winger Josh Addo-Carr, who has stood himself down from the club’s opening finals match

Absent from the club’s Awards Night, reports emerged yesterday that he allegedly returned a positive result and failed a roadside drug test last Friday evening.

As the Bulldogs prepare for Sunday’s elimination final against the Manly Sea Eagles, they will play the match without Addo-Carr, who has stood himself down but has maintained his innocence, per 9News journalist Danny Weidler.

This comes after Addo-Carr met with head coach Cameron Ciraldo on Tuesday morning.

UPDATE: Addo Carr maintains his innocence but has stood himself down from this weeks final @9NewsSyd @NRLonNine https://t.co/Nx5VqqnWPb

— Danny Weidler (@Danny_Weidler) September 10, 2024

On Monday, police confirmed in a statement that a 29-year-old male allegedly returned a positive indication for cocaine and a second test was sent for further examination.

“About 10.45pm on Friday, officers attached to Auburn Police Area Command were patrolling Baywater Drive, Wentworth Point, when they stopped a Toyota hatchback for random testing,” the police statement said via The Herald.

“The driver – a 29-year-old man – was subject to roadside testing which allegedly returned a positive indication for cocaine. The sample has been sent for analysis.”

Speaking on 100% Footy last night, Phil Gould addressed the situation after previously denying the off-field issue and stating that there was nothing for the club to be concerned about.

“The way it was reported to us [by Addo-Carr] Saturday morning felt that he was rather very dismissive of it,” Gould said on 100% Footy on Monday night.

“That there was no drama, that he was, he hadn’t tested positive to anything and that they allowed him to drive home and sent him on his way … I’d kind of forgotten about it until he rang me this morning and said that there was some phone calls he got from players at other clubs, and his wife had got some phone calls that this was bubbling around.

“And then people in the media started to make some [calls] and I spoke to our chairman. I said, ‘I spoke to Josh about this over the weekend twice and his description of events is that we’ve got nothing to worry about and he’s got nothing to worry about’.

“But as it turns out, this afternoon, there are now conflicting reports from the police and the way they’ve described the events, which has led me now to sit down with Josh Addo-Carr and his manager face to face at 5 o’clock this afternoon to go through exactly how things unfolded and what’s happened.”