Josh Addo-Carr, the underdog winger, was called to address the club’s board on Thursday to defend himself, and the Bulldogs are poised to rip up his contract in the next few days. Since he was stopped by NSW Police and tested positive for cocaine while driving last month, the former representative winger’s future has been in doubt.
In addition to receiving a $15,000 fine and a four-game NRL suspension, the 29-year-old was benched during Canterbury’s loss to Manly in the elimination final. Even though two different tests revealed that Addo-Carr had cocaine in his system, he has continuously insisted on his innocence throughout the ordeal.
However, Bulldogs manager Phil Gould, who at first backed the winger, now says he and the board should talk to Addo-Carr about his playing future. The Bulldogs have given the winger a show-cause notice, and it now appears certain that he will be fired, according to a report published in the Sydney Morning Herald on Friday.
It is anticipated that the choice will have far-reaching effects. After that, teams like the Dragons will need to determine whether to extend an offer to Addo-Carr. In contrast, a rival team has established a precedent for the Broncos that driving while intoxicated would not be accepted.
If Ezra Mam’s claimed positive drug test result is verified, this will place Brisbane’s management in the public eye because anything less than terminating his contract would demonstrate weak leadership and a lack of accountability, two things the team has already come under heavy fire for. It’s too soon to say whether Mam will be fired, according to Broncos coach Michael Maguire and the team, who will wait for investigators to finish their work before making any decisions.
Mam allegedly crashed head-on into an Uber, hurting the driver and the two people in the back seat. Although Queensland Police have not yet filed charges, they will claim Mam was unlicensed and failed a roadside drug test. In addition to claiming the Broncos five-eighth was operating a vehicle without a license at the time, police are still awaiting the results of a second test.
Maguire spent the majority of his first day in charge at Red Hill avoiding inquiries regarding Mam’s future. Following their disappointing 2024 season—in which they fell from being grand finalists the year before to finishing 12th and missing the finals—Kevin Walters was fired, and Maguire was brought in to take his place.
Following Walters’ dismissal, Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy acknowledged that the team needed to address certain leadership and cultural concerns, and they have enlisted the help of famous disciplinarian Maguire to do so. And if Mam’s second test results are positive, there will undoubtedly be no option except to fire him.
Josh Addo-Carr sanctions to seal Ezra Mam’s fate?
After Addo-Carr tested positive for cocaine on September 6, the NRL took action against him, suspending him for four games and fining him $15,000. He also agreed to a $682 fine and a three-month driving ban. The Bulldogs will now fire the winger, establishing a precedent that drugged-out driving will not be accepted.
If the results of the subsequent test are positive, Mam will be in an even worse situation in Red Hill, further north. In addition to reportedly driving without a license, he allegedly failed a roadside drug test.
Additionally, Mam’s driving incident is likely to cost the star his NRL contract as well as a significant amount of money. He must cover the cost of repairing both cars and any sanctions imposed by the league or his club if he is accused and found guilty. Regarding his contract, the Broncos and NRL are also anticipated to be harsh with him.
With a four-week suspension and the possibility that his Bulldogs career was gone, many people think Addo-Carr got off easy. However, if Mam is found guilty, he may face a year-long ban from the NRL. Even if the league doesn’t punish him severely, Brisbane will have little choice but to fire him or face widespread criticism and indignation from the NRL community.
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