Phil Gould tells all on Josh Addo-Carr drugs test scandal

After allegedly testing positive for cocaine last Friday night, it looked almost certain that Josh Addo-Carr would not play again for Bulldogs this season. However, Canterbury boss Phil Gould says that is not true. According to him, the door is still open for Addo-Carr to play again this season if Bulldogs beat Manly.  

Addo-Carr stands down 

Bulldogs vs. Manly previews have taken second place in the NRL news cycle this week after it was revealed that Josh Addo-Carr allegedly failed a drugs test last Friday night.  
 
According to multiple reports, the 29-year-old was stopped by NSW Police at a random checkpoint after he left a training session at Accor Stadium in Sydney on Friday. During the stop, police submitted Addo-Carr to a drugs test. He allegedly failed the test and tested positive for cocaine.  
 
These reports have been confirmed by Bulldogs and by the police themselves, however NSW Police have not named Addo-Carr.  
 
As a result of the scandal, Addo-Carr chose to remove himself from Canterbury’s squad, so that the rest of his team can prepare for their finals match against Manly on Sunday. 

Gould says Addo-Carr may play 

If the Bulldogs lose to Many, like most betting sites expect them to, Addo-Carr’s season will be over. However, Canterbury boss Phil Gould says he has not ruled out the winger returning to the team in the next round, should the club advance.  
 
Speaking on the Six Tackles with Gus podcast on Wednesday, Gould revealed that the club have not taken any action against Addo-Carr.  
 
“I sat down and spoke to him (Addo-Carr) last week and said, ‘This is the week ahead if we name you today and you play and this is the week ahead if you stand down and we go from there’. He considered both options and made that decision (to stand himself down) there and then,” he said. 
 
The Canterbury General Manager then explained that NRL league rules also complicate things.  
 
“Under the CBA with the NRL, neither the club or NRL Integrity have grounds to stand a player down until the result of that sample comes back. The problem is, there’s a backlog there for eight or 10 weeks. You can’t leave a player out eight or 10 weeks to see if his sample is going to be tested,” Gould explained. 

Bulldogs play Sea Eagles  4:05pm at Accor Stadium this Sunday. If they lose, this issue will be resolved and Addo-Carr will be punished once the test results come back. If the Bulldogs win, Gould and head coach Cameron Ciraldo will have a tough decision to make about whether to play Addo-Carr in the next round.