Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | John Kevin Dorahy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia | 28 August 1954||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 83 kg (13 st 1 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Fullback, Centre | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Relatives | Dane Dorahy (son) |
John Kevin Dorahy (born 28 August 1954), also known by the nickname of "Joe Cool", 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 Championship, and coached in the Super League. He began his playing career at fullback and in later years moved into the centres. As coach of Wigan, he is one of a select few to have a guided his club to the league championship and Challenge Cup 'double'.
Starting out as a fullback for Wests Wollongong in 1971, Dorahy won the Illawarra competition in '71 and '72 and was selected to represent for NSW Country in '72 and '73 before moving to England. With his cousin, 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 début year. [5] 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 despite a promising season for the club in 1984 under young coach Brian Smith, off the field financial realities of the times hit hard, with players seeking employment outside the Steel city and the Steelers finished with the wooden spoon in the 1985 competition.
Dorahy headed back 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 fine Rovers side of the mid-80s competing for all of the major honours in the British game, although he was unable to play in UK in the 1984–85 season .
Leaving Illawarra at the conclusion of their disappointing 1985 season, Dorahy spent a further two seasons with Hull Kingston Rovers. 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 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. [6]
Dorahy played in Hull Kingston Rovers Championship winning team of the 1983–84 season
Dorahy played stand-off in Hull Kingston Rovers' 14–15 defeat by Castleford in the 1986 Challenge Cup Final during the 1985–86 season at Wembley Stadium, London, on Saturday 3 May 1986, famously missing a late conversion which would have won the cup for Rovers in front of a crowd of 82,134.
Dorahy played right-centre and scored 5-goals in Hull Kingston Rovers' 22–18 victory over Castleford in the 1985 Yorkshire Cup Final during the 1985–86 season at Headingley, Leeds on Sunday 27 October 1985.
Dorahy played left-centre in Hull Kingston Rovers' 8–11 defeat by Wigan in the 1985–86 John Player Special Trophy Final during the 1985–86 season at Elland Road, Leeds on Saturday 11 January 1986. [7]
Dorahy played stand-off in Hull Kingston Rovers' 18–10 victory over Castleford Tigers in the Final of the 1983-84 Rugby League Premiership during the 1983–84 season, scoring a try and a goal in the final.
Dorahy was awarded The Harry Sunderland Trophy as Man of the Match.
Dorahy played stand-off, and was captain in Halifax' 12–24 defeat by Wigan in the 1989–90 Regal Trophy Final during the 1989–90 season at Headingley, Leeds on Saturday 13 January 1990. [8]
In 1978 Dorahy was selected for the Australian national side for a two-test series against New Zealand but injury kept him out of the 1978 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. [9]
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. [10]
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.
Dorahy was the coach in Wigan' 12–24 defeat by Castleford in the 1993–94 Regal Trophy Final during the 1993–94 season at Headingley, Leeds on Saturday 22 January 1994.
Despite supervising Wigan through to the Challenge Cup, Championship and the Premiership, 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". [11] 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. [11]
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. [12]
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.
As a player
As a coach
In 2004, Dorahy was nominated for the Wests Magpies Team of the Century, finishing with a position on the bench next to Tom Raudonikis. [13] The Illawarra Steelers announced the Team of Steel as part of their 25th anniversary celebrations in 2006 with Dorahy as captain and fullback. [14] 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. [15]
Dorahy is the father of Dane Dorahy who is also a former professional rugby league footballer.
Dorahy has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Wests Illawarra Leagues Club since 2001. [16] Dorahy has also been a director of Leagues Clubs Australia.
Dorahy has been significantly involved in the poker machine and hotels industry. He has held positions from Sales Manager at Stargames to Business Development Director at Nanoptix and Aristocrat. He is currently Business Development Director at CashCode, a poker machine parts manufacturer.
On 31 October 2010, the NSW Liberal Party confirmed that Dorahy would be the Liberal Party candidate for the seat of Keira at the March 2011 NSW State Election. He was unsuccessful. However, despite changing Keira from a safe ALP seat to a marginal ALP seat, Dorahy did not contest the seat again at the 2015 election. He also contested the September 2011 Wollongong City Council election, where he was elected to represent Wollongong's Ward 2, and was elected to be Deputy Lord Mayor for two terms (2012–13 and 2015–17). [17] Dorahy was re-elected for a three-year term as a councillor for Ward 2 at the council election held on 9 September 2017. [18]
In August 2024 Dorahy was not renominated by the NSW branch of the Liberal Party for the upcoming state-wide local government elections. [19]
Shaun Briscoe is an English former professional rugby league footballer. An England international representative outside back, he has played club football for the Wigan Warriors, Hull FC, Hull Kingston Rovers, and the Widnes Vikings. He is currently the head coach of the world champion England Physical Disability Rugby League team.
Colin Scott is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. Primarily a fullback, he was an inaugural player for the Queensland State of Origin team and the Brisbane Broncos.
Mark Lennon is a former Wales international rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s 2010s. He played at club level for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, the St. George Dragons, the Castleford Tigers, the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, Hull Kingston Rovers, the Crusaders RL, as a fullback or scrum-half, however he could fit into any of the backline positions with ease making him somewhat of a utility back.
Roger Millward was an English rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s and 1970s, and coached in the 1980s and 1990s. A goal-kicking stand-off, he gained a high level of prominence in the sport in England by playing for Hull Kingston Rovers (captain) and Castleford, as well as representing Great Britain. Millward was awarded the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1983. Nicknamed “Roger the Dodger” for his elusive running, he was inducted into the Rugby League Hall of Fame in 2000. Millward’s ability placed him in the top bracket of rugby league halves to have ever played the game.
George Fairbairn is a Scottish former rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s, and coached rugby league in the 1980s and 1990s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for Borders, and at club level for Kelso RFC, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain and England, and at club level for Wigan, winning the Man of Steel Award in 1980, and Hull Kingston Rovers, as a goal-kicking fullback, and coached at representative level rugby league for Scotland, and at club level Wigan, Hull Kingston Rovers, and Huddersfield.
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Dane Dorahy is an Australian rugby league coach and former professional rugby league footballer.
Christopher Burton is a former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. He played at representative level for Great Britain and Yorkshire, and at club level for Leeds, Huddersfield, Hull Kingston Rovers and Featherstone Rovers, as a second-row.
Garry Clark is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. He played at representative level for Great Britain and England, and at club level for Hull Kingston Rovers, Scarborough Pirates and Hull FC, as a wing.
Paul Rose is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, England and Yorkshire, and at club level for Hull Kingston Rovers, the Dapto Canaries and Hull FC, as a prop or second-row.
Michael Smith is an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. He played at representative level for Great Britain and England, and at club level for Hull Kingston Rovers, as a centre or stand-off.
Lee Crooks is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s and coached in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, England and Yorkshire and at club level for Hull FC, Western Suburbs Magpies, Balmain Tigers, Leeds and Castleford, as a prop or second-row, captain of Hull during the 1985–86 and 1986–87 seasons, and coached at representative level for Serbia, and at club level for Keighley and York.
David Laws is a former rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Old Hymerians RUFC, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain, and at club level for Hull Kingston Rovers, as a wing.
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The Dapto Canaries are an Australian rugby league football team based in the Wollongong suburb of Dapto. The club are a part of Country Rugby League and have competed in the Illawarra Rugby League premiership since its inception in 1911.
Ian Robinson is a former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. He played at club level for Hull Kingston Rovers, as a fullback or centre.