Sources with knowledge of the situation talking on the condition of anonymity told the Herald the Bulldogs privately felt Addo-Carr’s actions did not reflect the culture and standards they want their players to meet but were reluctant to terminate his deal immediately.

Out of respect for Addo-Carr’s standing in the game and his contribution to the club since he arrived at Belmore in 2022, the Bulldogs have allowed him to explore his options at rival clubs over the past six weeks.

However, Addo-Carr and his manager Mario Tartak have been unable to land a contract and the Bulldogs have reached a point where they believe they need to act. The Bulldogs declined to comment when contacted by the Herald.

At the heart of the matter is the club’s disappointment that the Addo-Carr incident hijacked the lead-up to the Bulldogs’ most important game in eight years, with the story breaking a week before their first finals game since 2016.

The Bulldogs also feel let down by Addo-Carr and the version of events he gave to the club, given how heavily general manager Phil Gould supported his player when told that drug test results were inconclusive. The Bulldogs later learnt that Addo-Carr’s first test showed a positive reading.

He was then placed under arrest for the purpose of a second test, the result of which wasn’t revealed to Addo-Carr. Police allowed him to drive away in his vehicle because they were called to an emergency, which didn’t follow proper procedure.

Addo-Carr vehemently denied he had taken cocaine but the results of the second sample, which came back a week after it was sent off to the laboratory for testing, returned another positive reading.

The NRL took action against Addo-Carr, suspending him for four matches and fining him $15,000 after accepting a $682 fine and a three-month suspension from driving after testing positive to cocaine on September 6.

Addo-Carr is on a deal worth around $500,000 next season. The Dragons have shown some interest in securing his services but insist he isn’t a priority.

“That’s an interesting one,” Dragons coach Shane Flanagan said when asked about the club’s interest in Addo-Carr.

“You better go and talk to his manager. What I view a player is worth and what a manager views what a player is worth could be completely different. I have never spoken to Josh about it.

“Our first priority is waiting to see what eventuates with the Clint Gutherson situation first. Maybe down the track we might possibly look at the Fox. He’s a quality player, he’s had a hiccup and we’ll address it. But it’s not on the immediate radar.”

The Dragons will not consider signing Addo-Carr before he first meets with chairman Andrew Lancaster, given the question mark over his character.