Ugh
Josh Addo-Carr is so intent on showing his attitude and mind are right that he has been urging the Bulldogs to clear him to play in the Koori Knockout despite a serious finger injury.
But it is not what the Bulldogs want to hear or want to do.
Canterbury are not opposed to Indigenous players expressing themselves and enjoying a great football event, which will run from next Friday to Monday at Bathurst. Rather, they are seeking a level of professionalism from players as a standard, not an exception.
Addo-Carr has already put himself offside with some people at the club with his positive roadside drug test for cocaine. He is facing a four-game ban and a $15,000 fine following that result after the NRL issued him with a breach notice on Tuesday.
The finger injury requires immediate repair. The problem for Addo-Carr is that when he originally hurt his finger, he failed to keep it in a brace as doctors recommended. The result is the image of a swollen finger he can’t straighten, which needs to be operated on.
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Included in that procedure is the breaking of the finger before the ligaments can be surgically repaired. Had the injured finger been kept in a brace, Addo-Carr would not be facing significant work on the injury.
Addo-Carr was also involved in an incident at last year’s Koori Knockout, which resulted in action from the NRL for his part in a fight.
The Bulldogs need Addo-Carr to take care of his finger and get it right, as clubs will want him in good health when he inevitably leaves Canterbury.
From all his public comments, you get the feeling Bulldogs general manager Phil Gould actually likes Addo-Carr, and still sees him as an asset to the club. However, the “Foxx” is not helping himself, and many at the club are growing increasingly frustrated with his behaviour.
It is hard to understand why Addo-Carr would even want to play at the Koori Knockout after everything he’s been through in recent weeks. His deception of the club resulted in a four-week penalty instead of a two-week ban proposed by the NRL.
His penalty was doubled because he was not truthful to the Bulldogs. He also did not receive a suspended fine – instead he will be made to pay $15,000. That is a rarity from the NRL.
The Bulldogs have been treating Addo-Carr with a level of respect they have not necessarily received from him in recent times. They want to make his exit from the club smooth, but his desire to play at the Koori Knockout make it hard for them to continue to be supportive.
The Bulldogs have displayed a significant level of care, when they could have just showing him the door, as many have suggested.
Smh weidler
