“They don’t deserve to be playing this year”: Gould calls for year-long bans for Addo-Carr, Mitchell

Former Panthers manager Phil Gould has called for Latrell Mitchell and Josh Addo-Carr to receive suspensions for the rest of the NRL season over their camping trip controversy, while The Daily Telegraph's Paul Kent says the players' reasoning of the trip being a 'cultural exercise' doesn't wash.

Both the NSW Police and NRL are investigating the incident, with both players being issued $1,000 fines for breaking social distancing rules.

There is also a further investigation over Addo-Carr's use of a firearm which was posted on social media.

“They’ve let themselves down, they’ve let their teammates down, they’ve let the code down,” Gould said on 2GB.

When asked what he would do if he was in charge of their clubs, Gould said: “For the protection of your own club, you need to isolate these boys from the rest of the group.

“Honestly, they don’t deserve to be playing this year"

“What they’ve done is horribly irresponsible, its might seem like a harsh penalty, and that was uncalled for, particularly when our game is trying to convince government that we can restart"

Kent has also spoke on how the actions of the pair have put the competition's future in jeopardy.

With the May 28 restart date inching closer, the behaviour of Mitchell and Addo-Carr has endangered the NRL's ability to resume.

“These two pelicans have put all of that at risk,” said Kent.

“Just a week ago Project Apollo were saying to coaches if you go out and break these isolation rules, you potentially lose competition points"

“Now not even a week later, they are posting their own crimes – I mean, that’s where we’re at.”

Kent also said that the reasoning given by the pair didn't wash.

“Saying a couple of blokes were struggling and wanted to get back to culture, that’s just an excuse. In the fair dinkum states, everybody is doing it a little bit tough to different degrees,” he added.

“We’re all going through a bit, as far as the culture goes. I get going for a camp, but riding motorbikes and shooting guns – I don’t think it is what Aboriginal people regard as their culture.

“That’s just a cop out, a sympathy vote, to say look after me, mental wellbeing, culture card gets played.

“It’s just rubbish, act like a man and try and do the right thing. And if you do the wrong thing, apologise say I stuffed up and go away and learn the lesson.”