Canterbury have refused to say whether Josh Addo-Carr will play again this finals series, after he stood himself down from their elimination clash with Manly.
The fallout from Addo-Carr’s alleged positive roadside test to cocaine continued on Tuesday, when the winger removed himself from training and Sunday’s team list.
The 29-year-old has told Bulldogs officials he is adamant he did not take cocaine in the lead up to last week’s test, and is at a loss to explain the positive test result.
The drama has come at the worst possible time for the Bulldogs, who are preparing to play their first final in six years.
Canterbury general manager Phil Gould would not say if Addo-Carr could return, should the Bulldogs advance to a semi-final.
“I’ll answer that next week,” Gould said of Addo-Carr’s long-term availability.
The veteran coach and administrator said Addo-Carr made the decision to stand down on Tuesday morning, after he explained to the winger the likely media circus and distraction his case would cause.
“Josh is upset, he’s very upset. It’s very frustrating for him because he believes in his own heart he has done nothing wrong,” Gould said at a snap press conference at Belmore.
“He firmly denies taking drugs.
“We accept Josh’s belief of his innocence and we will support him through the process.
“Josh has done the noble thing by the team … so he is not a distraction this week, which he obviously would have been.”
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Addo-Carr also returned a negative urine test on Tuesday, after he contacted a club doctor to voluntarily do so.
“How much weight that carries, I don’t know,” Gould said.
“If in fact he had this substance ahead of the weekend, it would be out of his system anyway. It’s not going to carry any weight legally for him.”
Addo-Carr was pulled over on Friday night while driving in the Sydney suburb of Wentworth Point and allegedly returned a positive test.
He was then tested a second time, with the sample sent away for further analysis. Canterbury anticipate that it could take up to 10 weeks for the secondary sample to be returned.
Addo-Carr told Bulldogs officials on Saturday morning the first test was inconclusive, but he was in the clear as he was able to drive after the test.
Josh Addo-Carr runs with the ball against Melbourne. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
Gould said he accepted Addo-Carr did not intentionally mislead the club.
But he indicated on Tuesday that it was possible Addo-Carr would be playing this weekend if he had been clearer in the initial details on Saturday morning.
“Under the CBA rules, we have no reason to stand him down, nor has the league until that last sample comes back positive,” Gould said.
“So with that in keeping, there would be no reason for us to stand him down and go through the normal process.
“Did he lie to us? I’m convinced in Josh’s mind that he didn’t think we’d ever hear about this.
“So he probably didn’t tell me the whole truth of the first positive or what it read. He put that down to being inconclusive.
“So he hasn’t handled that part very well. But do I think he deliberately lied to mislead me? No. That’s Josh.”
Gould suggested that if Addo-Carr’s secondary sample came back positive, his future at the club would fall under the spotlight.
“There are sanctions to that and precedence for that,” Gould said.
“If it came back positive, Josh would have to explain how it got in his system.
“Because he is adamant, and I mean vehemently adamant, that he has not taken the drugs.”
The Bulldogs on Tuesday named Jeral Skelton to take Addo-Carr’s spot, while players insisted the saga would not serve as a distraction.
“I’m very confident it won’t be,” captain Stephen Crichton said.
“The club is looking after it. The players can focus on what is important, and it is very important to prepare well.”
© AAP
