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Dual premiership-winning Canterbury recruit Josh Addo-Carr is somehow proving louder on the field than he is off it.
Fellow Canterbury newcomer and fullback Matt Dufty knows he is meant to be the yappiest Dog in the back line, but says he has been blown away by his winger’s willingness to communicate on the field.
Dufty said the dialogue between the pair has helped hugely with organisation, and it was a big reason the Bulldogs caught “99 per cent” of Cronulla’s kicks on the full in their final trial
Addo-Carr said he learnt the importance of every player on the field – not just the ones in key positions – finding their voice during his time at the Storm.
“One of my strengths is talking,” Addo-Carr said. “I learnt that off the great Billy Slater, Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk, Jesse Bromwich - just knowing you need to talk about what you see and what you need to do.
“I feel like talking is the key to being a first-grade football player. I’m trying to bring that to the club because the younger boys need it.”
Dufty said of the constant chatter from Addo-Carr: “He is there always talking to me, telling me when he’s up, when he’s back, which makes my job so much easier.
“He’s played at every level and knows what he is talking about. He’s not hard to get along with. He’s a one of a kind.
“I’ve been able to play with some great wingers. There was Jason Nightingale. ‘Duges’ [Josh Dugan] was a fullback but helped me so much when I came into grade. But ‘Gypsy’ [Jason Nightingale] and the Fox [Addo-Carr] are the two best wingers I’ve ever played with.”
Addo-Carr and Dufty will play their first competitive games for Canterbury against the Cowboys in Townsville on Sunday in what some neutral fans have labelled the “Spoon Bowl”.
The Dogs could yet be without Tevita Pangai jr who must prove his fitness on a hamstring strain before kick-off.
When Addo-Carr visited Townsville last year in the lead up to Origin I, he put his hand up for an impromptu foot race with local Indigenous kids, just two days before the big game. NSW Origin coach Brad Fittler said at the time he thought he was watching Tom Trbojevic and “Harry” hot foot it down the Manly corso all over again.
The only player who will prove more popular than Addo-Carr with Indigenous youth in Queensland’s north is Cowboys star Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, and it turns out the pair are just about related.
“My grandfather, Poppa Joe, used to look after him in Cairns,” Addo-Carr said. “He pretty much raised him, so we’ve got that connection. I got to know Hamiso when he was in the All Stars. I pretty much call him my cousin.
“He’s definitely worked hard for what he has at the moment and I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
However, Addo-Carr had no interest entering the debate about who was quicker, he or Tabuai-Fidow.
“There are too many young fellas coming through now that are quicker; I’m out of the picture now,” said Addo-Carr, who might be a fraction slower, but certainly not quieter.
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Fellow Canterbury newcomer and fullback Matt Dufty knows he is meant to be the yappiest Dog in the back line, but says he has been blown away by his winger’s willingness to communicate on the field.
Dufty said the dialogue between the pair has helped hugely with organisation, and it was a big reason the Bulldogs caught “99 per cent” of Cronulla’s kicks on the full in their final trial
Addo-Carr said he learnt the importance of every player on the field – not just the ones in key positions – finding their voice during his time at the Storm.
“One of my strengths is talking,” Addo-Carr said. “I learnt that off the great Billy Slater, Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk, Jesse Bromwich - just knowing you need to talk about what you see and what you need to do.
“I feel like talking is the key to being a first-grade football player. I’m trying to bring that to the club because the younger boys need it.”
Dufty said of the constant chatter from Addo-Carr: “He is there always talking to me, telling me when he’s up, when he’s back, which makes my job so much easier.
“He’s played at every level and knows what he is talking about. He’s not hard to get along with. He’s a one of a kind.
“I’ve been able to play with some great wingers. There was Jason Nightingale. ‘Duges’ [Josh Dugan] was a fullback but helped me so much when I came into grade. But ‘Gypsy’ [Jason Nightingale] and the Fox [Addo-Carr] are the two best wingers I’ve ever played with.”
Addo-Carr and Dufty will play their first competitive games for Canterbury against the Cowboys in Townsville on Sunday in what some neutral fans have labelled the “Spoon Bowl”.
The Dogs could yet be without Tevita Pangai jr who must prove his fitness on a hamstring strain before kick-off.
When Addo-Carr visited Townsville last year in the lead up to Origin I, he put his hand up for an impromptu foot race with local Indigenous kids, just two days before the big game. NSW Origin coach Brad Fittler said at the time he thought he was watching Tom Trbojevic and “Harry” hot foot it down the Manly corso all over again.
The only player who will prove more popular than Addo-Carr with Indigenous youth in Queensland’s north is Cowboys star Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, and it turns out the pair are just about related.
“My grandfather, Poppa Joe, used to look after him in Cairns,” Addo-Carr said. “He pretty much raised him, so we’ve got that connection. I got to know Hamiso when he was in the All Stars. I pretty much call him my cousin.
“He’s definitely worked hard for what he has at the moment and I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
However, Addo-Carr had no interest entering the debate about who was quicker, he or Tabuai-Fidow.
“There are too many young fellas coming through now that are quicker; I’m out of the picture now,” said Addo-Carr, who might be a fraction slower, but certainly not quieter.
Yappy Dog: Josh Addo-Carr ready to talk the talk and walk the walk
He is impossible not to hear off the field, and star Canterbury recruit Josh Addo-Carr is making just as much noise on it for his new club.
