Josh Curran has been one of the signings of the season this year after leaving the New Zealand Warriors under unceremonious circumstances to link up with Canterbury.
The forward has become a key part of the Bulldogs’ impressive pack, which has overcome their lack of height and power to constantly get the better of the opposition in the middle of the field.
Curran arrived at Belmore off the back of a hugely disappointing last season for the Warriors, despite the Kiwi club reaching a preliminary final during Andrew Webster’s first season in charge.
However, the 25-year-old didn’t see eye to eye with the rookie coach after being handed limited minutes throughout the campaign, which arrived predominantly off the bench.
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Bulldogs forward Josh Curran reveals Andrew Webster bust-up during Warriors exit
"I was filthy about the year," Curran said while appearing on the Beyond Belmore Podcast.
"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 detailed how the frosty relationship he had with Webster stemmed from his lack of involvement in games during the campaign.
After previously being told by the coach he would start in the backrow, Marata Niukore was subsequently recruited from Parramatta which pushed the one-time former Rooster down the pecking order.
Curran was reduced to limited stints on an edge, while also doing the occasional job in the centres as injury coverage.
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"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 recalled.
"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."
Phil Gould and Cameron Ciraldo immediately came calling for the versatile forward as they continued to rebuild the Bulldogs alongside fellow summer recruits Stephen Crichton, Bronson Xerri and Connor Tracey.
"I signed the contract and then had to go back over and clean the house out and sell all of my stuff in New Zealand," Curran said.
"I said bye to the boys, all the coaching staff and I don’t think I’ve ever heard from 'Webby' so much in my life as when I left.
"It was every second day. But I was like, 'You didn’t want to help me before, so why help me now?'"
