John Dorahy

Infobox rugby league biography
playername = John Dorahy
fullname = John Dorahy
nickname = Joe Cool


caption =
country =
position = rlp|FB|CE
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1954|8|28|df=yes
placeofbirth =
countryofbirth =
height = convert|169|cm|ftin|abbr=on
weight = convert|82.6|kg|stlb|abbr=on
club1 = Leigh
year1start = 1973
year1end =
appearances1 =
tries1 =
goals1 =
fieldgoals1 =
points1 =
club2 = Western Suburbs
year2start = 1974
year2end = 1979
appearances2 = 102
tries2 = 29
goals2 = 228
fieldgoals2 = 2
points2 = 545
club3 = Manly-Warringah
year3start = 1980
year3end = 1981
appearances3 = 27
tries3 = 6
goals3 = 19
fieldgoals3 = 1
points3 = 57
club4 = Illawarra Steelers
year4start = 1982
year4end = 1985
appearances4 = 73
tries4 = 14
goals4 = 204
fieldgoals4 = 5
points4 = 463
club5 = Hull KR
year5start = 1983
year5end = 87
appearances5 =
tries5 =
goals5 =
fieldgoals5 =
points5 =
club6 = North Sydney Bears
year6start = 1987
year6end = 1989
appearances6 = 37
tries6 = 6
goals6 = 102
fieldgoals6 = 3
points6 = 231
club7 = Halifax
year7start = 1989
year7end = 1990
appearances7 =
tries7 =
goals7 =
fieldgoals7 =
points7 =
teamA = Country Origin
yearAstart = 1972
yearAend = 1973
appearancesA =
triesA =
goalsA =
fieldgoalsA =
pointsA =
teamB = Australia
yearBstart = 1978
yearBend =
appearancesB = 2
triesB = 1
goalsB = 0
fieldgoalsB = 0
pointsB = 3
teamC = New South Wales
yearCstart = 1979
yearCend =
appearancesC = 3
triesC =
goalsC =
fieldgoalsC =
pointsC = 24
teamD = Country Origin
yearDstart = 1988
yearDend =
appearancesD = 1
triesD =
goalsD =
fieldgoalsD =
pointsD = 14
coachteam1 = Halifax
coachyear1start = 1989
coachyear1end = 1990
coachgames1 =
coachwin%1 =
coachpremierships1 =
coachteam2 = Wigan
coachyear2start = 1993
coachyear2end = 1994
coachgames2 =
coachwin%2 =
coachpremierships2 =
coachteam3 = Warrington
coachyear3start = 1996
coachyear3end = 1997
coachgames3 =
coachwin%3 =
coachpremierships3 =
source = [http://203.166.101.37/NRL08/playercareer.asp?lplayer=2510 NRL Stats] , [http://rugbyleagueproject.com/players/John_Dorahy.html RLP] , [cite book | author=Gary Lester (editor) |title=The Sun Book of Rugby League - 1983 |year=1983
publisher="John Fairfax Marketing" |location=Sydney, New South Wales |isbn=0909558833 |pages=page 44]

John Dorahy (born 28 August, 1954) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer and coach. He played in the Australian New South Wales Rugby League premiership and also represented for NSW Country, New South Wales Origin and Australia. Dorahy later played and coached in the English Rugby League Championship. He began his playing career at fullback and in later years moved into the centres.

Playing career

Starting out as a fullback for Wests Wollongong in 1971, Dorahy was selected to represent for NSW Country in 1972 and 1973 before moving to England. With his brother, Tony, Dorahy had a year playing league in England with the Leigh club before returning to Australia and a contract with Western Suburbs Magpies in 1974. In 102 games with Wests from 1974 to 1979, Dorahy earned a reputation for his kick and chase and solid defence. He obtained his nickname "Joe Cool" due to his calm attitude under pressure.

In 1980, Dorahy moved to Manly but was only able to play 26 matches over the two seasons due to knee and neck injuries.

In 1982, a combined team from the South Coast was admitted to the New South Wales Rugby League premiership competition. Dorahy returned to Wollongong to captain the new team, the Illawarra Steelers, in its' debut year. Over his four seasons with the club, Dorahy scored 463 points (taking the club record for most goals in a season with 76 1983), but the club had little success during that time, finishing with the wooden spoon in the 1985 competition.

Dorahy returned to England at the end of the 1983 NSWRL season and played during the northern winter for Hull Kingston Rovers. He was a member of the Rugby League Championship premiership winning side, defeating Castleford 18–10 in the final at Headingley Stadium. The Harry Sunderland Trophy was awarded to Dorahy as "Man of the Match".

Leaving Illawarra at the conclusion of their disappointing 1985 season, Dorahy spent a further two seasons with Hull. In 1987, at an age when most players would be considering retirement, he returned to Australia and took up the fullback position at Norths, playing his first game with them in round 10.

In 1989, Dorahy was on the move again, taking up a position as captain-coach of Halifax RLFC during the 1989–1990 season. It was his last season as a professional player and the beginning of his career in coaching.

Dorahy did play again in 2004, as part of the Rugby League Sevens tournament's "Men of League" team, alongside other retirees including Brett Kenny, "Mary" McGregor, Allan Langer and Russell Fairfax in an exhibition match. [cite news|Format=fee required|publisher="AAP Sports News (Australia)"|title=Sevens perfect vehicle for Campese to prove himself |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-89358633.html |accessdate=2008-01-07|date=2004-01-13]

Representative career

Dorahy was selected for the Australian national side for a two-test series against New Zealand in 1978 but injury kept him out of the Kangaroo tour later in the year.

In 1979, Dorahy was selected as a centre for two New South Wales matches, one against the touring Great Britain team. Dorahy landed four goals on that occasion but the Blues lost by 19–17 after leading 12–1 at half-time. [cite web|publisher="TotalRL.com"|title=Lions beat the Blues |url=http://www.totalrl.com/onthisday/index.php?feat_id=205 |accessdate=2008-01-05]

When Country Origin fullback, Garry Jack, was suspended and pulled from the team in 1988, John Dorahy was called up to replace him. Dorahy's original Country selection had been in 1972, a span of sixteen years between games. Dorahy (along with Ricky Walford, 1990, and Chris Hicks, 2001) holds the record for points scored in a City vs Country Origin match, with fourteen points scored in the 1988 game. [cite news|Format=fee required|publisher="AAP Sports News (Australia)"|title=City Origin v Country Origin factbox
url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-123394366.html |accessdate=2008-01-07|date=2008-05-11]

Coaching career

Dorahy has had two appointments as head coach at first-grade level, both in England and both ending after a relatively short term.

In June, 1993, Dorahy took on his first head coach role after accepting the position at Wigan, succeeding John Monie. Despite supervising Wigan through to the Challenge Cup and the Rugby League Championship, Dorahy was dismissed in May, 1994, only days after the club's return from Wembley. In a statement by the club, Dorahy was said to have been sacked for "gross misconduct".cite news|Format=fee required|author=Hadfield, Dave |publisher="AAP Sports News (Australia)"|title=Dorahy sacked by Wigan for `gross misconduct' |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4648886.html |accessdate=2008-01-19|date=1994-05-05] While describing his sacking as "diabolical', Dorahy admitted there were signs of unrest with rumours of his lack of popularity amongst the players and the appointment of Dean Bell, the club captain, to a coaching assistant's role the previous month.cite news|Format=fee required|author=Hadfield, Dave |publisher="AAP Sports News (Australia)"|title=Dorahy sacked by Wigan for `gross misconduct' |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4648886.html |accessdate=2008-01-19|date=1994-05-05]

Dorahy's stint at Warrington in 1996–1997 was less successful, as far as match results were concerned, than at Wigan, with Warrington sitting on the bottom of the Super League ladder. Dorahy resigned in March, 1997, before the end of the season. [cite news|Format=fee required|publisher="The People (London)"|title=Dorahy quits the Wolf pack |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4648886.html |accessdate=2008-01-19|date=1997-03-30]

In Australia, Dorahy was an assistant coach at the Newcastle Knights from 1991–1993 under David Waite and at the Western Reds from 1995–1996 under Peter Mulholland. In December 2005, Dorahy was appointed coach of the Western Suburbs Magpies premier league team.

Recognition

In 2004, Dorahy was nominated for the Wests Magpies "Team of the Century", finishing with a position on the bench next to Tom Raudonikis. [cite web|publisher="Wests Magpies Archives"|title=Wests Team of the Century |url=http://www.westsmagpies.net/archives/2008/php/wests_totc.php |accessdate=2008-01-19|] The Illawarra Steelers announced the "Team of Steel" as part of their 25th anniversary celebrations in 2006 with Dorahy as captain and fullback. [cite web|publisher="RLeague.com"|title=Star studded Team of Steel announced |url=http://rleague.com/db/article.php?id=25681 |accessdate=2008-01-18|date=2006-06-22] While he didn't make the final team, Dorahy was nominated for a position at centre in the Wests Tigers (combined Western Suburbs Magpies and Balmain Tigers teams) "Team of the Century" in 2007. [cite web|publisher="Wests Magpies Archive"|title=Wests Tigers Team of the Century |url=http://www.westsmagpies.net/archives/2008/php/wt_totc.php |accessdate=2008-01-18]

Dorahy has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Wests Illawarra Leagues Club since 2001. [cite web|publisher="Wests Illawarra Leagues Club"|title=Directors and Management |url=http://www.westsillawarra.com.au/default.aspx?id=52 |accessdate=2008-01-19|]

Footnotes

References

* cite book | last=Whiticker, Alan and Hudson, Glen |title=The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players |year=2007
publisher="Gary Allen Pty Ltd" |location=Wetherill Park, New South Wales |isbn=9781877082931 |pages=609