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Josh Addo-Carr in fresh injury update as fans question 'distressing' Bulldogs move

The Bulldogs winger was fighting a shoulder injury from early on in the game.

Riley Morgan
·Sports Reporter
·4-min read

NRL fans have questioned why Josh Addo-Carr was not immediately taken from the field after injuring his shoulder as Phil Gould confirmed the winger had not suffered a fracture. Addo-Carr played through pain on Saturday in his team's dismal 26-8 loss to the Parramatta Eels.

The Bulldogs were outplayed and looked disjointed in attack as they hardly threatened the Eels, despite coach Cameron Ciraldo claiming he was happy with his team's gritty performance. Unfortunately, Addo-Carr could be in for a spell on the sidelines after injuring his shoulder when he was bundled into touch in the seventh minute.

Cameron Ciraldo reacts and Josh Addo-Carr during a game.
NRL fans have questioned why Josh Addo-Carr (pictured right) was not immediately pulled from the ground after a shoulder injury as Phil Gould confirmed the winger has not fractured his shoulder. (Getty Images)

The winger bravely played on until half-time with coach Ciraldo admitting it could be a blow for the side. “I didn’t know it was that bad until half-time,” Ciraldo said of the injury. “You’ve got to play injured sometimes. Everyone out there has played with injuries, and some are worse than others.

“For Foxx to be able to get through to half-time is a massive testament to his courage and him putting the team first and setting a great example for the rest of the team." Despite Addo-Carr pushing through for his team, Bulldogs head of football Gould has confirmed the winger has not fractured his shoulder.

However, Gould claimed: "He has a significant soft tissue injury. They haven't suggested a return to play date as yet, but I'm told that overall it's good news," he wrote. Brien Seeney, from NRL Physio Platform X account, claimed Addo-Carr could be missing between two to four weeks. However, his latest update could see him sidelined for only a week missing next week's clash against the the Sharks.

And while Ciraldo admitted he didn't know how bad Addo-Carr's injury was until half-time, fans were left perplexed with viewers watching on as the winger battled through the pain. Many questioned why someone in management hadn't noticed the incident and pulled Addo-Carr off before half-time.

Bulldogs seek answers after Josh Addo-Carr injury

Ciraldo will now be searching for a solution for a number of weeks with Addo-Carr injured. He will most likely move Connor Tracey to the wing and allow Jacob Kiraz to stay at right centre. He could also opt to bring in new recruit Bronson Xerri after the youngster served his four-year ban for performance-enhancing drugs.

Josh Addo-Carr injured.
Josh Addo-Carr (pictured) played until halftime even though he had injured his shoulder. (Brendon Thorne via Getty Images)

"Connor Tracey was our 18th man tonight and he's ready to go," Ciraldo said after the loss. "We've got a couple of guys there in reserve grade as well. It's not ideal losing players, but we're prepared for it." While the Bulldogs were dealt a reality check to start the season, Ciraldo was impressed with what he saw.

"I couldn't have been prouder of them. We were really tough, gritty," Ciraldo said. "Killed ourselves at times with errors and penalties. I was really happy with the pre-season, the way they've come together, how hard they've worked.

"We're always going to be a little bit clunky in attack to start the season with a new team and new systems. Our attack will get better every week."

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