There is no shying away from the burning question presently facing the Parramatta Eels…what do they do with Josh Addo-Carr? Reports broke on Friday that Addo-Carr had allegedly failed another random roadside alcohol/drug test. It comes almost two years following a similar incident that resulted in his parting of ways with the Canterbury Bulldogs. Sixties and Forty20 discuss where the situation currently sits, what sort of sanctions the NRL could impose on JAC independent of the Eels and of course ultimately what the club should do.
As always, the show brings you all the latest happenings from Parradise and the wider NRL as the competition enters full sudden death mode following the first week exits from the finals of the Rabbitohs and Cowboys.
Catch the show from 7:30PM!
I will have to listen tomorrow at work fellas. I have had a few days now – look he needs to be suspended we all know this; the concern for me is he had a chance with us.
If we choose to keep him then we need have him tested (unannounced) v often and on a reduced contract.
I get it about his on field play and also off field work but this is part and parcel with the job. He is a crowd favourite but he knows better.
The management can talk about his mental health as much as they like, but the simple fact is he stuffed up again and that is only from what has been tested as per the police etc. How many other times? And we of course assume many others are taking this too…its an issue but you need zero tolerance.
The other issue will be us letting him and then he is picked up – we need to be on the front foot here; and for heavens sake we need some signings…..
Milo the testing that you talk about can be achieved through hair sampling.
JAC is a favourite of my 12 year old grandson . I did not enjoy telling him the story. The impact on his family.
It’s an addiction , however I don’t know what the answer is.
Thanks John, that is even better.
I am somewhat conflicted as I would prefer the club sees this out – and I go back to Ezra Mamm. What he did could be argued as worse – and he got 9 games a large fine. But JAC has done this before.
My other selfish side also says we need him on the field….as we do not have many quality players in the backs! The off season time can only help us.
I will also listen with interest tomorrow to your views.
For me, without hearing either of your positions or persuasive arguments, it hurts to say it, but if he is guilty of what he is accused of, you have to cut him.
We keep signing damaged goods and expect to be able to fix them all. We can’t. The Wayne Bennett’s and the Belliache’s of the world maybe can, but we have inexperiecned coaches and administrators and not enough “put’em straight” type leaders in the playing group to reabilitate someone.
Everything you hear and see is that JAC is popular and a good influence, but you can’t have this, not from a leader in the club.
It all comes back to that ‘A’ word. Accountability. It doesn’t exist in the club from the top down. It has to start somewhere, or we never turn this club around.
What do we do? Initially we grant the assumption of innocence
We then see what outcome the legal process delivers and what sanction The League applies. After that, if The League hasn’t wiped him.out forever (and they won’t) we add an appropriate fine and a four match suspension.
That would be plenty for what he did
Our players are human beings, not angels. We must accept that some of the things that happen in society will filter into the team. I am aware of an education minister who was busted for the use of recreational drugs + she didn,,’t lose her job
Unfortunately the club simply doesn’t have any real choice here, they have to tear up his contract. If they don’t, the club will be fair game with every talking head.
We have to sack him, we need to reduce the circus not encourage it.
We already gave him his chance and he betrayed us by taking drugs, by bringing the game into disrepute, and by not putting his hand up and saying he is guilty or not guilty – he is making us wait for the test results
That’s not role modeling, that’s not how someone who is remorseful acts and that’s a bad example
I’ll be seriously pissed is the club doesn’t sack him
The way this bloke plays Rugby League and the way he lives life are probably one big melting pot. We see how he plays Rugby League and I can only say he plays the most brutal team sport on earth honestly, respectfully,intelligently, skillfully,helpfully and courageously. And he can laugh at situations and himself. Maybe that last bit is the clue, it’s the bit that says he needs to turn his back on all the regimentation, hype, attention, media, interviews. He appears great for the team but vulnerable for himself. I don’t know what his contract says about re-offending, I don’t know the details of his apprehension and testing, I’m tempted to say he’s out of chances and the media and attention is burying him, no coming back from here, but perhaps a set of penalties and conditions with hair trigger termination can recognise all factors. Whatever, this can’t be allowed to drag on.
Had a listen to the pod on route to work. Plenty of nodding and head shaking.
Re JAC: Largely agreed with 40/20 in regard to parking the moral component of it all (not that I love the populist view point of “it’s a problem in society and footy players are just a microcosm of society” – that still doesn’t make it right). Ultimately though, while the boys often jovially refer to ‘availability’ as the most important ability, we need to change that to ‘accountability’. It starts now with JAC, and hopefully moves forward with some accountability toward the back office and playing group.
Where I disagreed was with the view point that JAC has put more pressure on the Recruitment Team which is undeserved and distinguishable from the deserved pressure that is on them. No. If Jack Williams was done for cocaine, there is no blame on Recruitment because there was no history. JAC had history, Recent history. It is the reason he was available, it is the reason no one else was touching him. High risk, high reward. It failed. Not dissimilar to swooping in to sign a player who wants to get out of his current contract with another club for his own personal gain, then be shocked when the same player 12 months later wants to get out of the contract he signed with you for another opportunity. Recruitment must own that they took the risk and it backfired… again.
Moving on to the recruitment options, again, I largely agreed with 40/20. The focus needs to be on development. When you are talking about 2027 options like De Groot and Berry, what are we doing? Is that moving us any closer to playing Finals football in the short or long term? No. Fast tracking development and recruiting young players in that Flegg tier who might be late bloomers or show they have certain skills and can be worked on – go get them instead of getting more re-treds. It’s what other clubs have done to us for years. The only problem is, do we really, honestly, believe we have the people at the club who can identify such unicorn talent?
I’d be all for Brimson, and for the right price Bostock and/or Burton – but realistically these are not 2027 signings.
2027 should be a development year – which to me has been obvious to me for 6 months now. Which further begs the question, why waste money/roster spot on Luai? When you have ot go sign fringe developing players, you have to accept they won’t all work out. So those roster spots become more valuable.
As for the discussion on Sloane. Appreciate we are without any genuine back up options at fullback – which is a concern ordinarily, but when your current fullback has only started 34 of a possible 48 games in his first two years… it’s a bigger worry.
BUT. To compare him to JAC, just because he is fast? Lee Oudenryn was fast. Didn’t make him good. Yep, we are short on speed. And speed is great, but the top 2 try scorers this year were Alex Johnson and Tom Jenkins – neither (in the year 2026) are blessed with lightning speed. But defensively the drop off from having JAC on a wing, to Sloane, is at least a try a game and I don’t believe that is an exaggeration, it may be even more. JAC doesn’t deserve to have people standing up for him this week, but comparing those two on any level, other than speed, to quote JAC, “C’mon brah!”
The Eels pursued Jenkins. To no avail. So who do you suggest BA?
For the purposes of the discussion about backline depth I made some suggestions and I don’t think that suggesting Sloan as one option is a wild idea. You cannot suggest having complete inexperience under the guise of “development” as the back up is the answer because it would get ugly. The thing is, as things stand, the depth with any level of experience starts and ends at Nanva.
Why did I suggest Sloan?
I mentioned pace because it is a commodity that you can’t coach into a player. If a player has well above average pace it is an asset. Ask any coach. It doesn’t make the player guaranteed NRL level, and I never suggested that it does so please don’t infer that from my comments. But if you stack the player against someone of similar footy ability, you have an asset that can give the edge.
Secondly, we converted Brian Kelly into a winger, and for our team, he was one of the most consistent performers. Consistency and defensive issues were his biggest deficiencies before he arrived. Whilst I’m not convinced that defence has become a strength for him, he has largely been a success story. I attribute that success to both Kelly and the skills/backs coach Scott Wisemantel. He was also instrumental in Russell’s improved form in 2025.
For mine, Sloan is well worth a shot. He’s only 24, just above the age group you’d suggest, and has 97 first grade games. At the very least his depth value would be outstanding. And I think he’d improve under Wisey’s guidance.
Furthermore, were we to sign him, and I am now into the full hypothetical by suggesting that such a point arrives, he couldn’t be on his own.
Iongi, Penisini, and Simonsson all have recent history of repeated injuries. The likely backline if Foxx is sacked is Iongi, Simonsson, Penisini, Samrani, Kelly. The back up is Nanva, who is mostly a centre. Without signings, an injury to Iongi would probably mean a backline reshuffle with Nanva filling in on the wing. So those are currently the only choices for Ryles and statistically we could be without one or more for long stretches. Every other player in the Eels system is a full novice, almost to the point of being mostly Flegg level. I want those young ones to be successful, but it’s a huge leap and we need players ready to play NRL now.
All points valid, but the recruitment team did basically nothing in Nov 2025 when in reality the club needed players for 2027 and they were stuck in neutral as usual. Despite some murmuring that Kolo’matangi was expensive, he was a massive miss and the usual an excuses were rolled out. If the issue was a committee or whatever, it’s not good enough and that area needs to be reset In a bitg way.
Inaction on the recruitment front has hammered the club for the past 5/6 years, still have to spend 97.5% of the cap, and we are left with a roster that in honesty ranks in the bottom 2 overall in the NRL. There’s no disguising where we actually are in recruitment and although we have some above average juniors in the pipeline, until we recruit at the top end of the market, they will struggle with adapting to that level. , as we see juniors that do well in clubs that have elite players.
I hope they extend JAC for another two seasons if only to give the wowsers more time and reasons to bitch and whinge.
Absolutely has to be sacked if the club doesn’t it just confirms this clubs standards are woefully inadequate.
His a serial offender and will be suspended by the nrl so what’s the benifit of having him sit on the sidelines. Release him and clear up a spot to try and land a player it’s a no brainer now Josh unfortunately has done his dash
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The Club and its leaders are so backward they threaten to derail 2027 with inaction. The squad we have is inept. We can’t afford to lose JAC and weaken the squad further. Waiting 6 weeks for the inevitable test result and then having the media trash the Eels during summer is disgusting.
Get on the bloody front foot – tell the media we dont wait for no result – fine JAC, suspend fpor 12 weeks, rehab him and make sure he repays the club and the community moving forward. Do it now whilst finals are on and it will be dealt with and forgotten in no time.
Move on so the team has no distraction in 2027.
Forties, we can’t like a post without signing into WordPress, I don’t even have an account for that- it would be beneficial to make like/vote up or down easier do see how popular posts are.
I have read all the discussion points and there are some very valid ones.
My opinion is that the club has criminally neglected our backline stocks for so long that we just CANT afford to lose him.
We can only stand on a moral pedestal for so long but like a drowning man we will reach for any assistance we can.
If we had some decent players in our backline, then we could take the moralistic stance but JAC is far and away the best outside back at our club and by a far margin. It’s a business after all.
We finished 13th, JAC ain’t saving us, yes he’s good but Nov 1 is just round the corner and we have a massive war chest at hand.
forget your warchest, we aint attractive to players and havent been attractive in many years. Fox will double his try tally next year if you can add a decent left centre to the squad (i.e Best, Herbie, Bostock). They create opportunities for their wingers unlike the crap we have had ever since Michael Jennings got suspended.
We may have a massive war chest Bob but we ain’t getting shit.
We will end up with another couple of journey type players along the Morgan Harper level.
If JAC stays he will still be far and away the best outside back at the club.
All this talk of Bostock, Best and Farnworth is complete and utter nonsense.
Farnworth won’t happen but there is nothing wrong with showing interest or pursuing the others listed. There would be more of an outcry if fans found out we didn’t pursue elite backline talent.
What do you think of Josh Ado-Carr, how he has presented himself as a member of the Rugby League community, what he has made of himself?
I’ve never met him but I must say on all the above he impressed me deeply.
So we cut him, no-one else will pick him up, his ability to provide for his family is significantly compromised – he already had a demonstrable drug use problem which, urgently, he needs to shake; given the above scenario, does that get better of worse?
Has he served us well? Is he one of ours? Now he finds himself in deep shit do we stand by him or abandon him.
If he wound up serving a ten week suspension and had his salary withheld and donated to a drug revalidation facility, if he had to attend such a facility itself that would amount to a fine of a hundred grand or so, far more than any court would impose.
He’s one of us; abandon him or stand by him while signalling our deep disappointment at his failure by means of a massive imposition?
I grew up in the housing commision settlement of Seven Hills. I know what we would have done.
These are all fair calls
He was seen at The Entrance on Saturday. He was in good spirits according to those who spoke with him. He was with someone who was possibly a minder.
I have never been so divided over a player in my time as an Eels fan. However I am leaning toward keeping him with a strict regime to help him overcome his addiction. I think this would be best for him and his family. I know some will argue it is not best for the club.
What we are forgetting is the human frailties of imperfection. JAC came to us with a history gong back to the covid days. I thought then it was not a good idea but I did think he would bring some good things to the team and he did. Certain people have an addictive personality and the word no is too difficult to act upon. JAC brings to mind that personality type and is one who might not consider the consequences until it’s too late.
The NRL made a rod for their back with the lenient treatment of Ezra Mam. Unlicensed and driving under the influence of an illicit substance is on the record. He went so close to causing fatalities and yet he was hit with just eight weeks and a slap over the knuckles from the Courts. JAC second bust as mindless as it is in no way compares to the circumstances of Mam. What infuriated me about Mam was the Court’s leniency and when he came out and to quote to overcome that issue “I want to be a better footballer ” or words to that effect. Not I want to be a better person but a better footballer. What a moron! JAC is a better person who it seems has booked himself into a clinic to turn himself around. Should his contract be dismissed yes and no. Should the NRL show the same compassion to him as they did for Mam and just fine him along with four weeks then we should be able to accept that. However if they suspend him for twelve weeks then we should let him go because that’s a big slice out of the season. Let’s also remember the season has finished and it would have had no effect on his performance. Also one more thing, he was a good thing for the world cup and those games as they did for Radley can be counted against any suspension.
The last four seasons we have been missing key players in the early rounds from suspension. Will it happen again? JAC form this year would rate near his worst and I recall asking on this site what is wrong with him that he is no where near his best. Clearly he is dealing with personal issues but let me tell this you will never find answers in the bottom of a bottle or a substance high. We should chase Sloan and Best – someone wrote earlier 2027 is a development year – that would make it the third. No we need some skilled footballers who will buy into the team and the club. Some our recent signings Harper and JDB sends one message to the fans – our R and R are out of their depth. Another lean year is on the horizon and Moses will be there for the representative games – I think Luai might be a good signing because Moses has a history of rep football injuries. I hope for the teams sake I am wrong.
This is not the gladiatorial rugby league most grew up following. It’s entertainment. Can’t remember who said it but, certain players, the high profile ones, are the lead actors. JAC is a lead actor. There are reports the players don’t want him sacked. Most clubs have a 3 strikes and your out policy, this is only his second and there are reports that some players are on their last warning for drug use, Josh’s only problem was he got caught by the cops, unlike the others, they were detected in house. Plenty of others have done far worse and are still playing, don’t sack him.
I am an old man, my experience is that when we as human being’s can’t/ don’t forgive minor indescretions, then humanity can easily get lost, as it does regularly.
This is a minor descretion, how do I know that?….. by the way the courts shall treat it!
The only real fault from a society’s point of view was he was driving a vehicle, this process is tested and punished under the judicial system.
This discussion is what else his employer’s will do to punish him ?
Hence my introduction.
JAC as a player is a role model to the game, team mates, other players and kids adore him, lets not treat these people as fools by saying “look at the example” he is setting.
Well every second player say’s fcuk when something goes wrong, do you think the kids don’t know without being experts in “lip reading”. We watch it on TV every week and turn a blind eye when someone ask’s “what did he say”.
Animals like Latrell Mitchel (probably the most skilful player in the whole game) behaves like only he can, Cody Walker is not much better, you then have to have a close look at whose is actually in the “mud pit” with these guys.There are immortals annointed and some yet to be, who are all guilty.
The NRL will not make a life ban. They cannot be that hippocritical because the way they test the players is such that tell them they are coming!
Why do you think the NRL makes no convictions and the police pick up players in random tests?
I am not interested in the clubs reputation, its not any different to any other club. I would say that apart from our playing ability, Parramatta is a perfectly behaved club…….subsequent from the 2014 shenagains and the action we took to fix it!
So if anyone wants to cut JAC and live with it, ask them how many of them who have no indescretions should/can throw the first stones……
I fight for my club and I will fight for decent people like JAC or anyone compared to his situation, not because he is a good player and Parra needs him but because he is a DECENT MAN with no more faults than other decent men we have supported.
Shit I even defended Fergo who had more descretions than the average Johnny, but he behaved pretty well at Parra from where I sat.
Well said Poppa. Up to this point I have been sitting on the fence with this issue. Not knowing which way to lean. I like your analysis. It makes sense. We knew he had issues before we recruited him. No one should be surprised by this outcome.
Assuming that the club sticks with he will get the support and guide rails he he needs to succeed into the future.
Thanks JE, try to get a lot more to say yes, to the address and we might just show the club where its supporters are on this subject.
Poppa, I wrote my post before reading yours. There are so many things to consider and of course the expressed regret along with mind set to turn himself around. We wait and watch for an outcome. We can always show compassion – will it be rewarded?
Listened in this mornign while stuck on the M4.
Forty I like your view around the fact we did not give many young guys a gig this year – or thereabouts and this again raises questions about our recruitment team.
Brimson – yes but not for the cost he is on and the Titans would need to throw in a good amount. Bostcok – no brainer.
I do not get how the club or the recruiters have been v slow….I just do not follow this and the club needs to be a lot more proactive here as in 12 months time if we have another bad year with injuries our coach will be copping it from all angles.
Milo, I have been critical of the committee process at Parra. For mine, that has slowed things up over the years. As for the current targets, I’m not surprised that we get no news given that many aren’t technically available to talk until Nov 1. But the lack of backline depth makes action imperative.
I thought our potential new outside back, Bradman Best had a good game on the weekend.
Ditto..and v Souths he and Wighton had a real battle at a good quality level. And a random observation, Tyson Frizzell has shown that old blokes can still play at top level, you just have to sign the right ones.
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I’ve seen Josh lift premiership trophies at other clubs and whilst he has quality I just can’t picture him doing it at our club. Cut him loose and go and get a young gun who’s hungry.
Blaize and Somrani out wide would be a good combo and interchangeable.
What do we do with Foxx? We just have to cop whatever suspension he is given. We have 6 OBs between the top 30 and development 6 next year. SIX?!?! Nanva, Simonsson, Kelly, Samrani, Penisini, and Addo-Carr. That’s it. It’s looking likely we’ll have no back-up fullback either. How can this happen? How has it continued to happen for the past 5 seasons where we’re going into a season with no outside back depth? They’ve moved on a head coach, the CEO has moved on and yet we still have major issues with recruitment and seemingly no capability of building a squad, seriously we’re offering Paulo 650k and we think that’s good business? Offering a prop who’s in decline that amount whilst we have no backs depth. And he still won’t take it.
On top of poor recruitment and poor squad building we also don’t seem too keen on developing the youth we have. Instead of playing Walker, Howlett, Sorovi and Rokosuka in reserve grade we instead play Avery, Tago and Hill? I thought when we moved on from having Wenty as our reserve grade team we would move on from Wenty level players. This is not to mention Australian schoolboys and SG Ball back of the year Bloomfield who is unseen, surely there’s an NRL pre-season for him? Surely we he has nothing else to prove in SG Ball next year?
This is not a game any more, it’s entertainment, and JAC is an entertainer.
All clubs do in-house testing, most have a 3 strikes and your out policy. You would be surprised how many players are treading a thin line. The only reason the Dogs sacked JAC was for salary cap relief, if they weren’t under salary pressure, he would still be a bulldog. Doesn’t need to be sacked, he needs help.