BY CURTIS WOODWARD

 
The Sydney Roosters have continued their questionable recruitment drive by signing former South Sydney and Gold Coast utility Paul Carter.

A talent on-field, Carter has already been sacked by both the Rabbitohs and the Titans for issues away from the field.

His signing comes on the back of the recent additions at the Tricolours of Liam Knight and Zane Tetevano who have both found serious problems off-field.

“Paul has been working very hard on himself away from football, and we will continue to support those efforts,” said Roosters CEO John Lee.

“There’s no denying Paul’s ability as a footballer, and we believe playing in the Roosters system can help his continued development both on and off the field.”

The former Australian schoolboy had been previously sacked by the Titans for a drink driving offence and was terminated at the Bunnies for breaching the club’s code of conduct.

Roosters fans may well be scratching their heads with Carter to join Knight and Tetevano at pre-season training in November.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amlQya_eqhU

While playing at Manly-Warringah, Knight was pulled over for a random breath test by police and decided to spray Aerogard into his own mouth. The talented youngster was arrested for high-range drink driving after recording a blood-alcohol level of .176. He was slapped with a good behaviour bond.

The acquisition of Tetevano is even murkier. Jailed for nine months for assaulting his girlfriend, but set free on appeal, Tetevano told the court at the time he’d never play rugby league again, calling it a “toxic environment”.

“Both Zane and Liam will boost the depth of our forwards heading into 2017,” Lee said.

“Significantly, they have each displayed a genuine desire to continue to apply themselves and develop within our structures both on and off the field.”

Coach Trent Robinson has a record of straightening out trouble players that includes current Australian representatives Blake Ferguson, Jake Friend and star halfback Mitchell Pearce.

The glamour Bondi club have a small but loyal army of fans but their 2017 roster will almost certainly make them public enemy number one with the rest of the NRL.

@woodward_curtis