'Hard to trust anything': Bulldogs boss Gould on Addo-Carr drugs test
Canterbury’s first finals campaign in eight years has been rocked, with winger Josh Addo-Carr under investigation after allegedly testing positive to a roadside drugs test on Friday night.
Police have confirmed a 29-year-old male registered a positive reading to cocaine after he was stopped for a roadside test late on Friday night.
“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.
“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.”
Sources with knowledge of the situation talking on the condition of anonymity told the Herald Addo-Carr originally claimed the first test was inconclusive and that he was allowed to drive away after a second test came back negative. The police have since said the first test produced a positive reading, with a second test sent away for further analysis.
This masthead approached the Bulldogs for comment on Monday morning. At the time, they were unaware Addo-Carr had allegedly returned a positive test.
Canterbury’s Josh Addo-Carr.Credit: Getty
Bulldogs general manager Phil Gould provided an insight into what had transpired on 100% Footy on Monday night, admitting Addo-Carr had told the club about the roadside test but that his version of events didn’t tally with that of the police.
“The way it was reported to us [by Addo-Carr] Saturday morning felt that he was rather very dismissive of it,” Gould said.
“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 five o’clock this afternoon to go through exactly how things unfolded and what’s happened.”
Roadside saliva tests can detect the drugs ecstasy, cannabis, cocaine, and methamphetamine (including speed and ice).
The sample is firstly analysed at the roadside, which takes around three minutes. If the testing device registers an indicative positive test, the person must go with the police to the station or hospital for further testing.
These second tests typically take about 20 minutes. If the person tests positive again, they cannot drive for 24 hours, and the remaining sample goes for in-depth forensic testing. That forensic testing, done in a laboratory, can take several days and police cannot lay charges until that sample returns a positive result.
Gould took to X, formerly Twitter, on Monday morning – before the police statement – to give the club’s version of events. It was contradicted by police a few hours later.
“In response to circulating rumours and now several media inquiries regarding Josh Addo-Carr,” Gould posted on X. “On Friday evening Josh was pulled over and subjected to a random roadside drug test. The test results were negative and Josh was allowed to continue on his way.
“Happens to all of us at some stage on the roads. It’s the Police keeping the community safe. We appreciate their work. There is absolutely no truth to rumours that Josh had any issue. None whatsoever. Enjoy your finals football everyone.”
The incident occurred on Friday night before Canterbury’s round 27 match against the Cowboys on Saturday night.
Addo-Carr, unvailable to play due to injury, was staying with his Bulldogs teammates at a Sydney Olympic Park hotel and had left to pick up a phone charger, according to club sources.
Earlier in the night he watched the Roosters-Rabbitohs game at Accor Stadium with members of the coaching staff and teammates Matt Burton and Bronson Xerri. Club staff weren’t aware he’d left the hotel until the following morning.
Addo-Carr’s future at the Bulldogs is now under a dark cloud, with the club to investigate whether he misled officials. His contract still has another year to run but he runs the risk of having it torn up if he has both lied to the club and tested positive to an illegal substance.
“The reason I wanted the meeting with him this afternoon was because of the conflicting report,” Gould said. “I spoke to police myself and I spoke to people that I know within the police force about the procedure on these types of things.
Loading
“And I’m still a little bit confused of some of the events as they’ve been portrayed both from the police and from Josh Addo-Carr. Even the fact that he was allowed to drive away from the scene, which I didn’t think you could do if you’d had a positive test – he did drive away from the scene.
“I know Josh, well, I don’t think Josh deliberately misled us. I think his interpretation of the events was obviously his own interpretation and inaccurate. It’s probably led to now, where it’s hard to trust anything about that and it looks like there’s been some sort of cover-up from us and him, which is not the case.”
The club was set to hold its annual awards night at Le Montage in Lilyfield on Monday night. Addo-Carr was scheduled to join his teammates at the celebratory dinner but has been told not to attend by club powerbrokers.
An NRL spokesperson said: “The NRL is liaising with the club.”
Loading
