NSW Blues winger Josh Addo-Carr is being linked with an exit from the Canterbury Bulldogs after he missed out on competing in the 2024 NRL Finals, having failed two roadside drug tests.
The winger stood himself down from last weekend's final against the Manly Sea Eagles after being randomly tested on Friday evening two weeks ago, with the club originally believing that Addo-Carr had not tested positive for any roadside test.
However, it later emerged that the result was positive, although Addo-Carr was allowed to leave the scene as police were called away to another incident.
Denying that he took any illicit substance, the Bulldogs confirmed late last week that the results of a second test for Addo-Carr had come back positive. This has subsequently put doubt on the winger's future at the club.
Contracted until the end of the 2025 season on around $550,000 per season, rugby league journalists Phil Rothfield and James Hooper believe Addo-Carr will be looking for a new NRL club by the end of the week.
“That will drag on this week but I'm pretty sure there will be a big story later this week and that'll be that the Bulldogs will cut Josh Addo-Carr loose," The Daily Telegraph's Rothfield said on Sky Sports Radio's Big Sports Breakfast.
“They got to do their due diligence, they've got to dot their i's and cross their t's with their legal procedures, but I think he's done at the Bulldogs.
“He still won't admit guilt, but he's paid the fine, which is a very unusual situation. I think Josh Addo-Carr will be looking for a new NRL club by the end of the week.”
Nicknamed 'The Foxx', he arrived at the Bulldogs ahead of the 2022 NRL season and has since featured in 52 games and scored 38 tries for the club.
This came after he had stints with the Wests Tigers (2016) - nine matches and six tries - and the Melbourne Storm (2017-21) - 118 matches, 96 tries and one goal.
A two-time premiership winner with the Storm in 2017 and 2020, he has also represented the Australian Kangaroos on seven occasions and the NSW Blues in 15 Origin matches.
“The reality of it now is that it looks as though all roads are heading towards the Bulldogs and Josh Addo-Carr parting ways," Hooper added on Triple M's Sunday Sin Bin.
“Phil Gould has said on the record a number of times...that his club wouldn't stand for that and his club wouldn't tolerate that type of thing.
"I think that they will end up parting ways and that he'll end up at another club.”