Josh Addo-Carr is facing at least three months on the sidelines should any club throw him a lifeline following his recent roadside drug test failure.
Addo-Carr’s camp is still awaiting formal notification of his B-test sample after he tested positive for cocaine in September.
The NRL and the Eels will wait on that result before any sanction is handed down.
While Parramatta are yet to make a formal decision on Addo-Carr’s future, it is highly likely that the Eels will reluctantly sack the flying winger from his $400,000 contract if the second test result comes back positive.
The NRL are also set to put a 12-game ban on him should any club look to sign him meaning he will be sidelined for almost half of next season.
Even if he is retained by the Eels, they will be missing him for a large chunk of the season. The 12-game ban is in line with the NRL’s illicit drug testing policy, which deems players are automatically sidelined for that period after a second failed test.
The NRL website states: “Players who record a second contravention will serve a 12-match ban, the prospect of contract termination, a fine, and further treatment and monitoring.”
Two years ago, Addo-Carr was sacked by the Bulldogs after failing a roadside drug test
The NRL may not formally announce the sanction should the Eels rip up his contract given he will no longer be a registered player.
However this column has learnt that should a club want him and the NRL allow him back into the game then the 31-year-old will have a long stint on the sidelines.
The former NSW flyer has been in a rehabilitation facility since his positive test result.
Addo-Carr was driving in Sydney’s inner-west along Enmore Road in Newtown when he was stopped for a test just days after he played in Parramatta’s final game of the season.
This time last year, Addo-Carr had returned to the Kangaroos line-up and was part of Australia’s extended World Cup squad before the positive test.
He was sacked by Canterbury in 2024 after he again failed a roadside drug test.
Addo-Carr looked to have resurrected his career with the Eels with Parramatta officials talking glowingly of his impact at the club on and off the field since his arrival in 2025.
Replies
Mallee, Moses played 19 games in 2026. That's basically been the floor since 2018 (first full year), except injury plagued 2024 (8) and 2025 (13).
I would find it hard to believe that the Eels would only consider sacking JAC if they managed to recruit a quality replacement for next season! The Eels are clearly in a rebuild stage and realistically are not any serious chance of winning a premiership next season. JAC playing the 2nd half of 2027 is not going to be the reason the Eels manage to improve enough to make the finals. Moving forward, if the Eels did terminate JAC"s contract, his yearly salary ( in which he didn't provide value for money this year and if he remains an Eel he won't provide value next year) would be better spent elsewhere. Who knows, a player could become available mid season and JAC's money plus roster spot might be what the Eels need if this happens.
Fcuk that is a long bow Slippery.....JAC probably played 75% of his games this season gone with a significant rib injury, even in his last few games he was still wearing about 3 inches of padding around his ribs.
This injury occurred about the same time as Moses was injured and the playing staff looked like an emergency ward on a Saturday night. That fact that JAC played at all was a credit to him and example to others..
You make a judgement on his drug morals and then turn on him for his team value. He was enormous with the younger players at training and the whole side gravitated to his personality and teamwork ethic.
If he didn't have his run in with the law we would not be having this conversation. Did you know he played nearly the whole season with that injury, Ryles did I can tell you that much!
Let me say I suspect that Ryles being totally aware of everything he brought the team in guts and effort that he just might stand up for JAC when the knives come out.
I hope so, I will be disaapointed if he doesn't.
I would keep ado Carr but sign Skelton just for cover. Good story to get him back on his feet and finish the season strong. But make sure you sign Skelton lol
The only issue I have is length of suspension and him taking up a spot and cap.
rest of it being sackable offence is bullcrap. There is no sackable offence as the nrl still registers the players contracts , mam was allowed to stay at donkeys , Lodge has had so many clubs , carney kept getting how many chances , radley kept his contract and other players who have done stints in jail and then had nrl contracts.
These are nrl registered contracts , a body that can fine players so if the body allows them to play , then it's not sacakable for the club
as I said only issue is the 12 weeks and taking up a spot
100% Kenny, that to me is the sticking point. Not so much what he did, but the consequences for what he did. If he got 4 matches, so be it. But possibly missing half a season?
Just seeing the Knights are low balling best lol. Money must be an issue
Does it surprise you , for all anyone says about Peter o Sullivan he paid stupid money for brown when they had ponga on massive coin. They don't have room to move in cap so anyone on indeed has to get bumped up , leaves no room for some others
Yeah he kinda went full retard on Brown. However their circumstances were very different at that stage. Whether he'd repeat the move now is the 13 million dollar question.
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