Phil Gould called out over Latrell Mitchell comments in wake of Josh Addo-Carr controversy

Phil Gould's previous comments about Latrell Mitchell's white powder saga have come back to haunt him, with league fans calling out the Bulldogs supremo over the Josh Addo-Carr controversy. Addo-Carr's future at the club hangs in the balance after his secondary drug test came back positive for cocaine, following an initial positive result in a roadside test.

NSW Police have issued Addo-Carr's lawyers with an infringement notice for driving under the influence of illicit drugs, a week after he was pulled over on the evening of September 6. The Bulldogs flyer passed the random breath test undertaken roadside in Sydney's Wentworth Point but failed a subsequent drug swipe and stood himself down for Sunday's sudden-death NRL finals clash against Manly.

Addo-Carr maintains he never knowingly ingested an illicit drug but after an oral fluid sample was sent for further testing, the results came back positive for cocaine on Friday. The news prompted Addo-Carr to leave the Bulldogs' training session on Friday to be with his manager Mario Tartak, according to a club statement.

Addo-Carr is not subject to the NRL's no-fault stand-down policy, which precludes players from taking the field when charged with criminal offences that carry long-term prison sentences. But his future at the club would appear to be at serious risk, considering Gould's response to the situation with Mitchell.

Phil Gould spoke out strongly against Latrell Mitchell recently

The Rabbitohs superstar was fined $40,000 by the NRL and South Sydney and slapped with a one-game ban for bringing the game into disrepute after being photographed with a white powder substance during a community event in Dubbo recently. And Gould made it clear that if it was a player at the Bulldogs, the club would come down hard on them.

“I don’t think our club could tolerate that sort of behaviour, I don’t think that we could tolerate that at all,” Gould said about the drama around Mitchell at the time. And the Bulldogs' GM of football has been reminded about those words in the wake of Addo-Carr's situation, with many questioning whether Gould and the Bulldogs have been left with no other choice but to let go of the former representative winger.

Gould called a snap press conference last week to address to address the initial reports about Addo-Carr and said the player was "vehemently adamant" he had not taken drugs. But the Bulldogs supremo suggested the 29-year-old's future at the club would fall under the spotlight should his secondary test come back positive.

Bulldogs throw their support behind Josh Addo-Carr

Speculation around the winger's future comes after the club released a statement saying it was offering Addo-Carr appropriate support during this "difficult period", in the wake of the secondary positive drug test. “The Bulldogs are committed to following the appropriate protocols with regards to the player’s contract and CBA and will work with the NRL Integrity unit, the player and his management team accordingly throughout further investigations," the statement read.

“While we treat this issue with utmost seriousness, Josh’s welfare is our highest priority at this time. "We will not be making any further comment until more information is available to the club. We request that the privacy of Josh and his family be respected during this challenging time."

Josh Addo-Carr accepts sanctions but maintains innocence

It's understood Addo-Carr paid the $682 fine and accepted a three-month disqualification from driving so he could put the matter behind him, despite maintaining his innocence. But the flyer's $500,000 per-season contract could be in jeopardy at the Bulldogs, with Jeral Skelton set to replace the 29-year-old on the wing for Canterbury's first finals match since 2016 - against Manly on Sunday.

Addo-Carr is contracted to Canterbury through 2025 but would be free to negotiate with rival clubs for 2026 from November 1. The club previously summoned Addo-Carr to explain himself over a brawl at the Koori Knockout last September that saw him miss end-of-season Tests for the Kangaroos.

The 29-year-old is a two-time premiership winner with the Storm and a World Cup winner for Australia and has long been regarded as one of the game's elite wingers. But his season has been interrupted by injuries in 2024, most notably a hamstring issue that thwarted his hopes of earning a State of Origin recall for NSW.

with AAP