Playing Career
Vital Statistics
- Nickname(s)
- Joe Cool
- Born
- Saturday, 28th August, 1954
- Current Age
- 69 years and 262 days
- Place Of Birth
- Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
Known Family Links
- Son
- Dane Dorahy
Biography
Wollongong Wests fullback, a teenage NSW Country rep in 1972-73, spent a season with Leigh in England with his brother Tony before coming to Wests in 1974. A fine defender with a great kick and chase, John Dorahy was known as 'Joe Cool' because of his composure under pressure. He represented Australia in the two Test series against NZ in 1978 but injury ruled him out of Kangaroo contention that year. In 1979 he made his only appearances for NSW (as a centre) but joined big-spenders Manly the following year. His two seasons with the club were hampered by knee and neck injuries and, in 1982, he returned ‘home’ to captain I’warra in the club’s debut season. Dorahy scored the then club record 463 career points during his four seasons with the Steelers but, in 1983-84, successfully tested the international transfer ban to play with Hull KR. He won the Harry Sunderland Trophy as 'Man of the Match' in the 1984 premiership final. Dorahy did not return to Sydney until 1987 and, linking with Norths, defied 'father-time' when chosen as Country Origin fullback in 1988 after first choice Garry Jack was suspended (this was 16 years after Dorahy had made his senior representative debut!) He later captain-coached Halifax but his time with English club champions Wigan was much more controversial. Dorahy was chosen to replace John Monie in the 1993-94 season but was sacked after just one season - the victim of internal politics despite Wigan's wins in the Challenge Cup and premiership final. He returned to Australia soon after and has been an assistant coach with I’warra, W’Reds and Wests.
- ALAN WHITICKER
Playing Career Statistics
All statistics shown in this section are based only on data available in the RLP database, and are not necessarily a complete and/or 100% accurate representation of a player's career. This information should be used as a guide only. If you see a question mark (?), it denotes that the figure is not available.
To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the List button.
Competitions | ||||||||||||||
Competition | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
City vs Country Firsts | 4 | 2 | - | 6 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 50.00% | List | ||||
Tour Matches | NSW Country | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
National Panasonic Cup | 19 | 3 | 38 | - | 85 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 52.63% | List | ||||
NSWRFL/NSWRL Premiership (NRL) | 239 | 55 | 554 | 11 | 1298 | 103 | 129 | 7 | 43.10% | List | ||||
NSWRFL/NSWRL Finals | 8 | - | 18 | - | 36 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 37.50% | List | ||||
Craven Mild Cup | 18 | 1 | 26 | - | 55 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 66.67% | List | ||||
Tour Matches | Australia | 2 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
Test Series | 2 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
Interstate Matches | 2 | - | 6 | - | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
Tour Matches | New South Wales Firsts | 1 | - | 4 | - | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | |||
English Championship | 61 | 25 | 140 | 2 | 382 | 41 | 18 | 2 | 67.21% | List | ||||
Tour Matches | Hull Kingston Rovers | 3 | - | 3 | - | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 33.33% | List | |||
Challenge Cup | 12 | 4 | 36 | 1 | 89 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 66.67% | List | ||||
Premiership Trophy | 5 | 3 | 14 | - | 40 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 60.00% | List | ||||
Yorkshire Cup | 11 | 4 | 18 | 1 | 53 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 63.64% | List | ||||
Regal Trophy | 11 | 3 | 18 | - | 48 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 72.73% | List | ||||
City vs Country | 1 | - | 7 | - | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | ||||
UK Second Division | 14 | 3 | 2 | - | 16 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 64.29% | List | ||||
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Test Matches - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
Australia | 1978 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
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Australia - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
NSW Country Firsts | 1972-73 | 2 | 2 | - | - | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.00% | List | |||
NSW Country | 1972 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
Combined Sydney | 1976 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.00% | List | |||
NSW City Seconds | 1979 | 1 | 1 | 6 | - | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
NSW Firsts | 1979 | 3 | - | 10 | - | 20 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% | List | |||
NSW City Firsts | 1979-80 | 2 | - | - | 6 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
NSW Country | 1988 | 1 | - | 7 | - | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | |||
Overall | 1972-1988 | 12 | 3 | 23 | 6 | 61 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 58.33% | List | |||
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NSWRFL/NSWRL Premiership (NRL) - By Year | ||||||||||||||
Team | Season | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
Western Suburbs | NSWRFL 1974 | 21 | 6 | 72 | 1 | 163 | 12 | 9 | 0 | 57.14% | List | |||
Western Suburbs | NSWRFL 1975 | 22 | 11 | 76 | - | 185 | 9 | 11 | 2 | 40.91% | List | |||
Western Suburbs | NSWRFL 1976 | 8 | - | - | - | - | 3 | 5 | 0 | 37.50% | List | |||
Western Suburbs | NSWRFL 1977 | 14 | 3 | 9 | - | 27 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 28.57% | List | |||
Western Suburbs | NSWRFL 1978 | 20 | 3 | 6 | - | 21 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 70.00% | List | |||
Western Suburbs | NSWRFL 1979 | 17 | 6 | 66 | 1 | 151 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 64.71% | List | |||
Manly | NSWRFL 1980 | 8 | 2 | 1 | - | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 62.50% | List | |||
Manly | NSWRFL 1981 | 19 | 4 | 18 | 1 | 49 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 47.37% | List | |||
Illawarra | NSWRFL 1982 | 25 | 6 | 70 | 1 | 159 | 6 | 19 | 0 | 24.00% | List | |||
Illawarra | NSWRFL 1983 | 25 | 5 | 76 | 3 | 175 | 8 | 17 | 0 | 32.00% | List | |||
Illawarra | NSWRL 1984 | 7 | - | 22 | - | 44 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 71.43% | List | |||
Illawarra | NSWRL 1985 | 16 | 3 | 36 | 1 | 85 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 18.75% | List | |||
North Sydney | NSWRL 1987 | 13 | 1 | 40 | / | 53 | 75.47% | 2 | 86 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 38.46% | List |
North Sydney | NSWRL 1988 | 15 | 4 | 46 | / | 65 | 70.77% | 1 | 109 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 40.00% | List |
North Sydney | NSWRL 1989 | 9 | 1 | 16 | / | 24 | 66.67% | - | 36 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 33.33% | List |
NSWRFL/NSWRL Premiership (NRL) - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
Western Suburbs | 1974-79 | 102 | 29 | 229 | 2 | 547 | 53 | 46 | 3 | 51.96% | List | |||
Manly | 1980-81 | 27 | 6 | 19 | 1 | 57 | 14 | 10 | 3 | 51.85% | List | |||
Illawarra | 1982-85 | 73 | 14 | 204 | 5 | 463 | 22 | 51 | 0 | 30.14% | List | |||
North Sydney | 1987-89 | 37 | 6 | 102 | / | 142 | 71.83% | 3 | 231 | 14 | 22 | 1 | 37.84% | List |
Overall | 1974-1989 | 239 | 55 | 554 | 11 | 1,298 | 103 | 129 | 7 | 43.10% | List | |||
English Career - By Year | ||||||||||||||
Team | Season | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
Hull KR | 1983/84 | 26 | 18 | 74 | 2 | 222 | 21 | 4 | 1 | 80.77% | List | |||
Hull KR | 1985/86 | 36 | 8 | 96 | 2 | 226 | 24 | 10 | 2 | 66.67% | List | |||
Hull KR | 1986/87 | 29 | 11 | 48 | - | 140 | 16 | 12 | 1 | 55.17% | List | |||
Halifax | 1989/90 | 23 | 5 | 10 | - | 40 | 15 | 7 | 1 | 65.22% | List | |||
English Career - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
Hull KR | 1983, 1985-86 | 91 | 37 | 218 | 4 | 588 | 61 | 26 | 4 | 67.03% | List | |||
Halifax | 1989 | 23 | 5 | 10 | - | 40 | 15 | 7 | 1 | 65.22% | List | |||
Overall | 1983-1990 | 114 | 42 | 228 | 4 | 628 | 76 | 33 | 5 | 66.67% | List |
Contributions:
Greg Fiveash, AJ Lucantonio, Paul Carter, Rugby League Tables, Andrew Ferguson, Shawn Dollin, Alan Katzmann, Steven Russo, Max Turner, Bill Bates
Sources:
David Middleton's Rugby League Yearbook (1987-88 to present), Irvin Saxton's Record Keepers' Club, Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook (1981-82 to 1999)
Your Say
04/03/2019
John made 94 appearances for rovers including 2 as sub
23/04/2022
I loved watching Joe Cool play. He was a hugely talented player who probably didn't play as many Tests as he should have. He was a very fine attacking player, with an elusive step, beautiful hands, and an accomplished kicking game. Had he played his full career in England he would probably have been regarded as a legend there. I believe he is also a true gentleman.
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