Playing Career
Vital Statistics
- Nickname(s)
- Dallas
- Born
- Friday, 3rd September, 1954
- Died
- Saturday, 22nd February, 1986 (Aged 31 years and 172 days)
- Place Of Birth
- Gunnedah, New South Wales, Australia
Honours & Awards
Based only on data available in the RLP database. This information should be used as a guide only.
- World Cup
- 1975
- Test Series
- Australia vs New Zealand 1978
- Interstate Series
- 1973, 1975, 1976
- City vs Country Firsts
- 1976
- Midweek Cup
- 1977
Known Family Links
- Brother
- Michael Donnelly
Biography
The career of 'Dallas' Donnelly remains central to the heart of the Wests club. The Gunnedah forward represented NSW in 1973, breaking his arm on debut, and was named Country Player of the Year. Donnelly signed with the Magpies in 1975 and represented Australia in three World Series matches that year but his sole Test appearance was not until three years later against NZ. Under coach Roy Masters in the late 1970s, Donnelly's on and off-field larrikinism took him to almost cult status but his career gradually wound down in the early 1980s as he battled injuries and increasing weight problems. He was suspended for 15 weeks in 1978 on a kneeing charge and was a regular visitor to the judiciary in the early 1980s (he also received a 14-week suspension in 1981). Donnelly later spent a season with English club Southend Invicta in 1985-86 before taking on the captain-coach position with Byron Bay. Donnelly, who had suffered from epilepsy throughout his life, drowned after suffering a fit while surfing prior to the start of the 1986 season.
- 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.
| Representative Career - International | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests (Senior International Matches) | - | 4 | - | - | - | - | 3 | 0 | 1 | 75.00% | List | ||||
| World Cup | 1 | 3 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 0 | 1 | 66.67% | List | ||||
| Tour Matches | New South Wales Country Firsts | - | 3 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
| Tour Matches | Northern Division | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | |||
| Tour Matches | Australia | - | 4 | - | - | - | - | 3 | 0 | 1 | 75.00% | List | |||
| Tour Matches | Combined Sydney | - | 4 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 3 | 0 | 25.00% | List | |||
| Test Series | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| Representative Career - Australia | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Interstate Series | 3 | 4 | - | - | - | - | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| City vs Country Firsts | 1 | 3 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 2 | 0 | 33.33% | List | ||||
| Club Career - Australia | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| NSWRFL/NSWRL Premiership (NRL) | - | 149 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 34 | 67 | 77 | 5 | 44.97% | List | ||||
| NSWRFL/NSWRL Finals | - | 3 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0.00% | List | ||||
| Preseason Cup | - | 18 | - | - | - | - | 5 | 12 | 1 | 27.78% | List | ||||
| Midweek Cup | 1 | 14 | - | - | - | - | 8 | 5 | 1 | 57.14% | List | ||||
| Club Career - UK | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Challenge Cup | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | ||||
| UK Second Division | - | 17 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 15 | 0 | 11.76% | List | ||||
| Overall | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||||
| First Class | 201 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 41 | 98 | 104 | 10 | 48.76% | List | |||||
Test Matches - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Australia | 1975, 1978 | 4 | - | - | - | - | 3 | 0 | 1 | 75.00% | List | ||||
World Cup Matches - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Australia | 1975 | 3 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 0 | 1 | 66.67% | List | ||||
Australia - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| NSW Firsts | 1973, 1975-76 | 4 | - | - | - | - | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| NSW Country Firsts | 1973-74 | 5 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 60.00% | List | ||||
| Northern Division | 1974 | 3 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 2 | 0 | 33.33% | List | ||||
| North Coast | 1975 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | ||||
| NSW City Seconds | 1975 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| Combined Sydney | 1976 | 4 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 3 | 0 | 25.00% | List | ||||
| NSW City Firsts | 1976 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| Overall | 1973-1976 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 8 | 0 | 57.89% | List | ||||
NSWRFL/NSWRL Premiership (NRL) - By Year | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Season | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Western Suburbs | NSWRFL 1975 | 21 | 3 | 4 | - | 17 | 9 | 10 | 2 | 42.86% | List | ||||
| Western Suburbs | NSWRFL 1976 | 21 | 1 | 2 | - | 7 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 47.62% | List | ||||
| Western Suburbs | NSWRFL 1977 | 20 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 30.00% | List | ||||
| Western Suburbs | NSWRFL 1978 | 21 | - | - | - | - | 14 | 7 | 0 | 66.67% | List | ||||
| Western Suburbs | NSWRFL 1979 | 12 | - | - | - | - | 6 | 6 | 0 | 50.00% | List | ||||
| Western Suburbs | NSWRFL 1980 | 18 | 1 | - | 2 | 5 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 66.67% | List | ||||
| Western Suburbs | NSWRFL 1981 | 7 | - | - | - | - | 3 | 4 | 0 | 42.86% | List | ||||
| Western Suburbs | NSWRFL 1982 | 12 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 50.00% | List | ||||
| Western Suburbs | NSWRFL 1983 | 15 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 6.67% | List | ||||
| Western Suburbs | NSWRL 1984 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.00% | List | ||||
NSWRFL/NSWRL Premiership (NRL) - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Western Suburbs | 1975-84 | 149 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 34 | 67 | 77 | 5 | 44.97% | List | ||||
English Career - By Year | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Season | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Southend Invicta | 1984/85 | 17 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 2 | 16 | 0 | 11.76% | List | ||||
| Sheffield | 1985/86 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | ||||
English Career - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Kent Invicta | 1984 | 17 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 2 | 15 | 0 | 11.76% | List | ||||
| Sheffield | 1985 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | ||||
| Overall | 1984-1986 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 16 | 0 | 11.11% | List | ||||
Contributions:
Greg Fiveash, Rugby League Tables, Andrew Ferguson, Paul Carter, Alan Katzmann, Shawn Dollin, AJ Lucantonio, Max Turner, Wests Archives, Tony McCarron, Bill Bates, Tim Costello
Sources:
Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook (1981-82 to 1999), Irvin Saxton's Record Keepers' Club
Your Say
24/07/2011
RIP "Dallas" you were the best Magpie of them all !
24/07/2011
I'm sure the club Dallas played for in England were called South end Invicta......
18/02/2012
Dallas
The reason I became a western suburbs supporter all those years ago
12/03/2015
He was the heart and soul of what the people loved about the western suburbs club and the fans he represented .
Have never heard a rugby league crowd laugh as much in a game since .....
After watching Dallas knock over a field goal.
17/06/2019
What enjoyment it was . Watching Dallas give it his all for the Magpies
17/06/2019
What enjoyment it was . Watching Dallas give his all for the mighty black and white Magpies
23/04/2021
Hope you loved Tommy joining you brother! RIP you two legends! ????
10/10/2021
That field goal Rex likened to kicking a cat off the front porch
25/03/2024
Old Dallas. He was like the pied piper, kids loved him. I reckon he even put Tommy back to 2nd place. As a Magpie he gave it his all. You couldn't ask for more. RIP mate.
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