- Addo-Carr played at the Koori Knockout soccer tournament
- He was reportedly knocked out in a fight during the match against Walgett.
- The Bulldogs star has now given his version of events
NRL star Josh Addo-Carr has slammed reports he was knocked unconscious during a violent football brawl in which police were called when spectators were involved.
The Bulldogs winger was playing for the Sydney All Blacks in the annual Koori Knockout tournament when several fights broke out during their match against Walgett on Saturday.
It was initially reported that Addo-Carr was knocked unconscious during one of the fights at Tuggerah, on the NSW central coast, after violence reportedly broke out when he was hit during a high tackle.
The 28-year-old strongly denied this when he gave his version of events in an Instagram post on Saturday afternoon.
“Tell who really got knocked out in the fight, play dirty cop,” he wrote.
This version of events was supported by the claims of an eyewitness to the match.
“The other player slapped Addo-Carr too hard on the head,” the spectator told the Daily Telegraph.
‘Addo-Carr then shaped and destroyed it. He didn’t start, but he threw the first punch.
However, another witness to the clash claimed a different version of events occurred.
Addo-Carr (pictured left with Redfern All Blacks players) has denied reports he was knocked out in a brawl at the Koori Knockout rugby league tournament.
“No one hit Josh in the head,” they told the publication.
“He was tackled violently, but that doesn’t give you the right to hit a guy. He just didn’t like losing, it’s as simple as that.
“It’s quite sad that it ended like that because it was a great match, it was intense. It was the biggest match of the day… There were about 10,000 people on this small field .
Team Walgett also included NRL star Jack Wighton, boxing promoter Matt Rose and former Bulldogs star Ben Barba.
Following the clash, Addo-Carr’s role will be investigated by the NRL’s integrity unit, the publication reported.
The winger would have been a favorite to make the Kangaroos squad on Tuesday, had it not been for the alleged fight.
This isn’t the first time Addo-Carr has made headlines at the Koori Knockout.
The Bulldogs winger’s actions in the game against Walgett are being scrutinized by the NRL’s integrity unit and could affect his chances of making the Kangaroos squad.
A similar event happened in 2016, when he was playing for the Redfern All Blacks.
In the final against the Newcastle All Blacks, he was about to score a try when a defender launched a high-flying tackle on him.
The Koori Knockout, one of Australia’s largest Indigenous gatherings, is a highly anticipated rugby league competition held every October long weekend in Tuggerah, New South Wales.
The Koori Knockout attracts thousands of Aboriginal people from across New South Wales, merging community celebrations with an intense display of rugby skills.
The tournament is unique in that it provides players from local national leagues the opportunity to compete against NRL stars like Latrell Mitchell.
