Josh Curran opens up about his turbulent season and move to Canterbury Bulldogs

Josh Curran left the Warriors to play for the Bulldogs. Photo / Photosport

Josh Curran has lifted the lid on his shock exit from the Warriors last year after he was granted an immediate release to join the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.

The Warriors permitted the 25-year-old to look for a new home as his contract was unlikely to be extended when his then-current contract finished at the end of the 2024 season. He had a topsy-turvy 2023 season, playing in 23 matches but mostly off the bench – and even spent time in the NSW Cup.

Reports at the time suggested Curran was homesick, but speaking on the Beyond Belmor Podcast, the 25-year-old revealed that wasn’t the full story.

“I was filthy about the year,” Curran said. “We did the season review and that was pretty tough. They said they weren’t going to re-sign me after my deal ran out [in 2024].

“Everyone thinks I left because I was homesick. Yeah, I missed my family, but I’d started my career there and it was good there.

“We were coming off Mad Monday. We had the review like two days later, so I was hungover and listening to it like, ‘What the hell’s going on right now!?’”

Curran described a sour relationship with Warriors coach Andrew Webster, who won NRL Coach of the Year last year. He claimed Webster told him he would start in the back row but Marata Niukore was recruited from Parramatta, pushing Curran down the pecking order. He was reduced to limited stints on an edge and covered in the centres when required.

“I remember he looked at me and asked what’s wrong. I said: ‘You obviously don’t trust in me because if you did, I would have played a lot more minutes’,” Curran said. “So, I looked at him and said I just want to go home to my family right now … it’s obvious you don’t want me here.

“He said: ‘It’s not like that’. But I told him: ‘I’m not dumb’. So, I told my manager and he said: ‘Oh s**t’.

“But then we asked if I could go to market, and they gave us permission to talk to clubs.”

And it didn’t take long for Curran to find a new home and in October 2023 the Bulldogs announced his signing on a two-year deal.

Bulldogs general manager of football Phil Gould revealed he had his eyes on Curran from the first time he saw him.

“From the first time I saw Josh Curran play, he looked like a Bulldog to me,” said Gould.

“Once he became available, we just had to sign him up. At 24 years of age, his best football is clearly in front of him. We are very excited to have Josh in our club”.