Josh Addo-Carr makes a poignant call during the NRL finals, revealing his move.

Under-fire Bulldogs winger Josh Addo-Carr has broken his silence over the drug controversy that’s thrown his NRL career into question after insisting his name will eventually be cleared.

Addo-Carr stood himself down from playing in the Bulldogs’ elimination final against Manly on Sunday and will not attend the sudden-death showdown at Accor Stadium, as he doesn’t want the off-field drama to distract from his side’s first playoffs series since 2016.

Addo-Carr’s future at the club hangs in the balance after his secondary drug test came back positive for cocaine on Friday, following an initial positive result in a roadside test. NSW Police 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 forward passed the random breath test conducted on the side of the road in Wentworth Point, Sydney, but he later failed a drug test and resigned from his position as a player. Addo-Carr insists he has never used illegal drugs on purpose, but on Friday, tests on an oral fluid sample that was forwarded for additional analysis revealed the presence of cocaine.

However, Addo-Carr claimed in a statement to The Sydney Morning Herald that he deliberately made arrangements for the secondary test result to be expedited because he was certain it would be negative and demonstrate his innocence. Even though Addo-Carr knew that wasn’t the case, he chose to move on from the incident by paying the $682 fine and accepting a three-month driving ban.

Josh Addo-Carr is optimistic that his record will be cleaned. He apologized to his teammates and the club for the unfavorable press the complicated story has generated and assured the SMH on Sunday that his “name will be cleared.” Addo-Carr told the SMH, “I know I’ve done nothing wrong and my name will be cleared in time.” “I feel terrible that the club has to handle this situation; it’s frustrating.” I would like it to be known that I did not use drugs, and I am eager for my record to be cleaned. I express my gratitude to all the members of the team, particularly to Gus [Phil Gould, general manager], Adam [Driussi, chairman], and Cameron [Ciraldo, coach].