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Michael Dobson (rugby)
Encyclopedia
Michael Dobson is an Australian professional rugby league
footballer with the Hull Kingston Rovers
club of the Super League
competition, in 2009 he won the prestigious Albert Goldthorpe Medal
.
, Dobson played for the Australian Schoolboys team in 2003 and 2004.
Dobson, originally a promising young halfback for the Canberra Raiders
of Australia, kick-started his career when he was loaned to French Super League
team Catalans Dragons
as a replacement for the injured Stacey Jones
. The 19 year old Dobson impressed with his natural ability while at Catalans Dragons, and he attracted the attention of several other Super League clubs, subsequently being signed by the Wigan Warriors
in May 2006.
There was some controversy over Dobson's signing for Wigan. Under English law, Dobson was not permitted to play in England because he did not have a work permit. However, Wigan managed to obtain a work permit for him, albeit in controversial circumstances. When Dobson signed for Wigan, they were at the bottom of the Super League table, 6 points behind the nearest team and heading towards relegation. Dobson's impact at Wigan helped the team survive relegation in the 2006 season. Michael is noted for his good organisational skills on the field.
Dobson is highly regarded as both a field and goal kicker. In 2006 he was statistically the best goal kicker in the world with a success rate of 84%, equal to or better than St Helens star Jamie Lyon
(81%) and NRL players Hazem El Masri
(84%) and Andrew Johns
(80%).
Dobson re-signed with Canberra at the end of 2006, and was part of the Raiders' squad in 2007. He was the club's leading point scorer that season.
scrum-half after he secured a release from his contract with the NRL
club. He signed two-and-a-half year deal at Hull KR
after James Webster
was released. Dobson had been linked with a mid-season transfer to Hull and Harlequins Rugby League. He has more recently been linked with a move to Hull KR
, however they would need to release players before they could bring in Dobson.
which is presented by Rugby Leaguer & League Express
.
. He has recently stated a desire to return to the NRL and once again play for the Canberra Raiders.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
footballer with the Hull Kingston Rovers
Hull Kingston Rovers
Hull Kingston Rovers or Hull KR is an English professional rugby league football club based in Hull, England. The club formed in 1882 and currently competes in Super League, having won promotion from National League One in 2006...
club of the Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
competition, in 2009 he won the prestigious Albert Goldthorpe Medal
Albert Goldthorpe Medal
The Albert Goldthorpe Medal is an award that has been created by Rugby Leaguer & League Express to honour the leading players in Super League and to honour Albert Goldthorpe who was English rugby league's first superstar at the turn of the 20th century....
.
Career
While attending Erindale CollegeErindale College
Erindale College may refer to:* Erindale College, a secondary college located in Wanniassa, Australian Capital Territory* Erindale College, an alternate name for the University of Toronto Mississauga...
, Dobson played for the Australian Schoolboys team in 2003 and 2004.
Dobson, originally a promising young halfback for the Canberra Raiders
Canberra Raiders
The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership since 1982...
of Australia, kick-started his career when he was loaned to French Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
team Catalans Dragons
Catalans Dragons
The Catalans Dragons are a French professional rugby league club based in Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales. They currently play in the Super League, and are the only team in the competition from outside of the United Kingdom...
as a replacement for the injured Stacey Jones
Stacey Jones
Stacey William Jones, ONZM is a professional rugby league footballer, who has been named amongst the greatest New Zealand has ever produced. He currently plays for the Point Chevalier Pirates in the Auckland Rugby League's Phelan Shield...
. The 19 year old Dobson impressed with his natural ability while at Catalans Dragons, and he attracted the attention of several other Super League clubs, subsequently being signed by the Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
in May 2006.
There was some controversy over Dobson's signing for Wigan. Under English law, Dobson was not permitted to play in England because he did not have a work permit. However, Wigan managed to obtain a work permit for him, albeit in controversial circumstances. When Dobson signed for Wigan, they were at the bottom of the Super League table, 6 points behind the nearest team and heading towards relegation. Dobson's impact at Wigan helped the team survive relegation in the 2006 season. Michael is noted for his good organisational skills on the field.
Dobson is highly regarded as both a field and goal kicker. In 2006 he was statistically the best goal kicker in the world with a success rate of 84%, equal to or better than St Helens star Jamie Lyon
Jamie Lyon
Jamie Lyon is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who currently captains for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles of the National Rugby League...
(81%) and NRL players Hazem El Masri
Hazem El Masri
Hazem El Masri is a Lebanese-Australian retired professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. An Australia and Lebanon international, and New South Wales State of Origin representative winger, he played his entire club football career with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs with...
(84%) and Andrew Johns
Andrew Johns
Andrew Gary "Joey" Johns is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s who is considered by many to be the greatest player of all time. He was heralded as the world's best halfback for a number of years...
(80%).
Dobson re-signed with Canberra at the end of 2006, and was part of the Raiders' squad in 2007. He was the club's leading point scorer that season.
2008
Hull Kingston Rovers made a deal to sign the Canberra RaidersCanberra Raiders
The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership since 1982...
scrum-half after he secured a release from his contract with the NRL
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
club. He signed two-and-a-half year deal at Hull KR
Hull Kingston Rovers
Hull Kingston Rovers or Hull KR is an English professional rugby league football club based in Hull, England. The club formed in 1882 and currently competes in Super League, having won promotion from National League One in 2006...
after James Webster
James Webster (rugby league)
James Webster is a rugby league player.Webster normally plays as a scrum half but is equally at home at hooker. where he played for Parramatta making over 40 NRL games in his time with the Eels....
was released. Dobson had been linked with a mid-season transfer to Hull and Harlequins Rugby League. He has more recently been linked with a move to Hull KR
Hull Kingston Rovers
Hull Kingston Rovers or Hull KR is an English professional rugby league football club based in Hull, England. The club formed in 1882 and currently competes in Super League, having won promotion from National League One in 2006...
, however they would need to release players before they could bring in Dobson.
2009
Dobson enjoyed a magnificent 2009 season for Rovers, helping them into fourth place in only their third Super League season. His superb individual performances saw him become the second winner of the Albert Goldthorpe MedalAlbert Goldthorpe Medal
The Albert Goldthorpe Medal is an award that has been created by Rugby Leaguer & League Express to honour the leading players in Super League and to honour Albert Goldthorpe who was English rugby league's first superstar at the turn of the 20th century....
which is presented by Rugby Leaguer & League Express
Rugby Leaguer & League Express
Rugby Leaguer & League Express is a weekly newspaper published every Monday in the United Kingdom. Other rugby league titles published by League Publications Ltd include the monthly magazine 'Rugby League World' and the annual 'Gillette Rugby League Yearbook'.It features match reports and pictures...
.
2010
Dobson started the 2010 season with a try and 5 goals in a 30-12 win over Salford City RedsSalford City Reds
Salford City Reds are an English rugby league club based in Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1873, they currently play in the Super League. They have won six Rugby Football League Championships and one Challenge Cup...
. He has recently stated a desire to return to the NRL and once again play for the Canberra Raiders.
Super League Tries
- Scores and results list Michael's try tally first.
| Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Tournament | Scored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 March 2006 | Stade Aime Giral Stade Aimé Giral Stade Aimé Giral is a multi-purpose stadium in Perpignan, France. It is currently used mostly for rugby union matches and is the home stadium of USA Perpignan... , |
Leeds Rhinos Leeds Rhinos Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League... |
10-58 | Super League Super League Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from... |
1 |
| 17 April 2006 | Stade Aime Giral Stade Aimé Giral Stade Aimé Giral is a multi-purpose stadium in Perpignan, France. It is currently used mostly for rugby union matches and is the home stadium of USA Perpignan... |
St. Helens | 20-34 | Super League Super League Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from... |
1 |
| 22 April 2006 | Stade Aime Giral Stade Aimé Giral Stade Aimé Giral is a multi-purpose stadium in Perpignan, France. It is currently used mostly for rugby union matches and is the home stadium of USA Perpignan... , |
Hull | 28-34 | Super League Super League Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from... |
1 |
| 14 May 2006 | The Jungle The Jungle The Jungle is a 1906 novel written by journalist Upton Sinclair. Sinclair wrote the novel with the intention of portraying the life of the immigrant in the United States, but readers were more concerned with the large portion of the book pertaining to the corruption of the American meatpacking... |
Castleford Tigers Castleford Tigers Castleford Tigers are a professional rugby league club based in Castleford in West Yorkshire, England. They participate in the professional European competition Super League. They are sometimes known as 'Cas', 'Cas Tigers', 'Classy Cas' or the 'Black & Amber'... |
18-40 | Super League Super League Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from... |
1 |
| 1 September 2006 | JJB Stadium JJB Stadium The DW Stadium is a sports stadium in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England, that is home to Wigan Athletic football club and Wigan Warriors rugby league club.... |
Bradford Bulls Bradford Bulls Bradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league.... |
38-16 | Super League Super League Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from... |
3 |
| 10 September 2006 | Twickenham Stoop | Harlequins | 31-30 | Super League Super League Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from... |
1 |
| 15 September 2006 | JJB Stadium JJB Stadium The DW Stadium is a sports stadium in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England, that is home to Wigan Athletic football club and Wigan Warriors rugby league club.... , |
Hull | 38-16 | Super League Super League Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from... |
1 |
| 25 May 2008 | Craven Park | Harlequins | 22-8 | Super League Super League Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from... |
2 |
| 29 June 2008 | Odsal Odsal Odsal is a village in the metropolitan district of the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated outside the village of Wibsey. Odsal's main attraction is Odsal Stadium which is the home of the four times Super League champions the Bradford Bulls... , |
Bradford Bulls Bradford Bulls Bradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league.... |
40-20 | Super League Super League Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from... |
1 |
| 13 July 2008 | Craven Park, | Wigan Warriors Wigan Warriors Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011.... |
39-22 | Super League Super League Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from... |
4 |
| 10 August 2008 | Craven Park, | Harlequins | 16-40 | Super League Super League Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from... |
1 |
| 15 March 2009 | Craven Park | Crusaders | 48-18 | Super League Super League Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from... |
1 |
| 29 March 2009 | Craven Park | Salford City Reds Salford City Reds Salford City Reds are an English rugby league club based in Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1873, they currently play in the Super League. They have won six Rugby Football League Championships and one Challenge Cup... |
48-12 | Super League Super League Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from... |
3 |
| 26 April 2009 | Craven Park, | Catalans Dragons Catalans Dragons The Catalans Dragons are a French professional rugby league club based in Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales. They currently play in the Super League, and are the only team in the competition from outside of the United Kingdom... |
44-10 | Super League Super League Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from... |
1 |
| 3 May 2009 | Murrayfield Stadium Murrayfield Stadium Murrayfield Stadium is a sports stadium located in the west end of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Its all-seater capacity was recently reduced from 67,800 to 67,130 to incorporate the largest permanent "big screen" in the country though it still remains the largest stadium in Scotland and one... |
Warrington Wolves Warrington Wolves Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003.... |
28-36 | Super League Super League Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from... |
1 |
| 15 May 2009 | JJB Stadium JJB Stadium The DW Stadium is a sports stadium in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England, that is home to Wigan Athletic football club and Wigan Warriors rugby league club.... , |
Wigan Warriors Wigan Warriors Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011.... |
12-20 | Super League Super League Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from... |
1 |
| 25 July 2009 | Craven Park | Hull | 24-18 | Super League Super League Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from... |
1 |
| 2 August 2009 | The Jungle The Jungle The Jungle is a 1906 novel written by journalist Upton Sinclair. Sinclair wrote the novel with the intention of portraying the life of the immigrant in the United States, but readers were more concerned with the large portion of the book pertaining to the corruption of the American meatpacking... |
Castleford Tigers Castleford Tigers Castleford Tigers are a professional rugby league club based in Castleford in West Yorkshire, England. They participate in the professional European competition Super League. They are sometimes known as 'Cas', 'Cas Tigers', 'Classy Cas' or the 'Black & Amber'... |
28-46 | Super League Super League Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from... |
2 |
| 7 February 2010 | Craven Park | Salford City Reds Salford City Reds Salford City Reds are an English rugby league club based in Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1873, they currently play in the Super League. They have won six Rugby Football League Championships and one Challenge Cup... |
30-12 | Super League Super League Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from... |
1 |
| 27 February 2010 | The Jungle The Jungle The Jungle is a 1906 novel written by journalist Upton Sinclair. Sinclair wrote the novel with the intention of portraying the life of the immigrant in the United States, but readers were more concerned with the large portion of the book pertaining to the corruption of the American meatpacking... |
Castleford Tigers Castleford Tigers Castleford Tigers are a professional rugby league club based in Castleford in West Yorkshire, England. They participate in the professional European competition Super League. They are sometimes known as 'Cas', 'Cas Tigers', 'Classy Cas' or the 'Black & Amber'... |
24-28 | Super League Super League Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from... |
1 |
| 5 April 2010 | Twickenham Stoop, | Harlequins | 12-52 | Super League Super League Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from... |
1 |
| 16 May 2010 | Craven Park | Crusaders | 54-10 | Super League Super League Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from... |
3 |
| 6 June 2010 | Craven Park | Catalans Dragons Catalans Dragons The Catalans Dragons are a French professional rugby league club based in Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales. They currently play in the Super League, and are the only team in the competition from outside of the United Kingdom... |
24-6 | Super League Super League Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from... |
1 |
| 20 June 2010 | Craven Park | Harlequins RL | 42-6 | Super League Super League Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from... |
2 |
| 4 July 2010 | Belle Vue Belle Vue (Wakefield) Belle Vue is a rugby league stadium in Wakefield, England. It is the home stadium of Wakefield Trinity Wildcats. It is located beside the A638 Doncaster Road, approximately one mile south of Wakefield City Centre.- Description :Currently, the East stand has a covered stand with seating, with some... |
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats Wakefield Trinity Wildcats Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts... |
14-46 | Super League Super League Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from... |
1 |
| 15 August 2010 | The Willows | Salford City Reds Salford City Reds Salford City Reds are an English rugby league club based in Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1873, they currently play in the Super League. They have won six Rugby Football League Championships and one Challenge Cup... |
18-44 | Super League Super League Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from... |
1 |
| 25 April 2011 | Craven Park Craven Park There are two rugby league grounds in Britain and an area of London called Craven Park:* Craven Park , home of Barrow * Craven Park, Hull, current home of Hull Kingston Rovers... |
Harlequins | 37-24 | Super League Super League Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from... |
1 |
| 15 May 2011 | Craven Park Craven Park There are two rugby league grounds in Britain and an area of London called Craven Park:* Craven Park , home of Barrow * Craven Park, Hull, current home of Hull Kingston Rovers... |
Bradford Bulls Bradford Bulls Bradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league.... |
46-18 | Super League Super League Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from... |
1 |
| 25 June 2011 | Twickenham Stoop | Harlequins RL | 0-34 | Super League Super League Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from... |
1 |