26 Facts About Dallas Johnson

Dallas Johnson was born on 23 November 1982 and is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played between 2003 and 2013.

Between 2006 and 2009, Johnson played in four consecutive NRL grand finals for the Melbourne Storm, of which the club won two, only for both to be stripped due to salary cap breaches.

Dallas Johnson has represented the Queensland Maroons in four State of Origin series and played one match for the Australian national team.

Dallas Johnson was born in Herberton, Queensland on 23 November 1982, and was raised on his family's farm on Queensland's Atherton Tablelands and educated at Atherton State High School.

Dallas Johnson played his junior football in his town of Atherton Roosters, where he was the captain of the Roosters under 18 premiership in 1999.

Dallas Johnson played in the Storm's opening match of the season, alongside fellow first-grade debutant and future Australian and Queensland fullback Billy Slater.

Dallas Johnson appeared in 20 first-grade matches that season, and the following year extended his contract.

Dallas Johnson started in all three matches of the series, which Queensland won.

Dallas Johnson was a key member of Melbourne's team of 2007, making an average of 36 tackles a match.

Dallas Johnson played his 150th match for Melbourne during the 2008 NRL season; achieving the same milestone with Billy Slater who made his debut alongside Dallas Johnson in 2003.

Dallas Johnson was named in the preliminary 46-man Australian squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup; however, he missed out on selection in the final squad of 24 players.

Dallas Johnson again represented Queensland in all three matches of the 2008 State of Origin series, which Queensland won.

Dallas Johnson again suffered a head injury, in the opening match of the series, leading some to question the safety of his low tackling style.

Dallas Johnson's final season for Melbourne was a success: he played in the Storm's grand final win over the Parramatta Eels although, as in 2007, the Storm were later stripped of their premiership due to large-scale breaches of the league's salary cap.

Dallas Johnson again played in all three matches of the 2009 State of Origin series, as Queensland won their fourth series in a row.

Dallas Johnson scored the opening try in the third match, his first in State of Origin, when he fell onto a Johnathan Thurston grubber kick.

Dallas Johnson played in 26 matches for the Dragons in the 2010 season; the club finished on the bottom of the Super League ladder.

Dallas Johnson left the club at the end of the season, with two years left on his contract, to return to the NRL for the North Queensland Cowboys.

Dallas Johnson claimed that a return to Australia would be better for his family, his daughter having been born during the 2010 season.

Dallas Johnson signed a three-year contract with the Cowboys starting in 2011.

Dallas Johnson broke the Cowboys' record for the most tackles by a player in a season, with 1,006, averaging 41.9 per game.

Dallas Johnson who missed out on Origin selection in 2011, was named 18th man for the second origin game in Sydney after vice-captain Sam Thaiday pulled out with a shoulder injury.

Many media outlets and reporters said Dallas Johnson was the best signing of 2011 for the Cowboys and has continued to be a stand out performer for the club over two seasons, averaging 42 tackles a game, and adds a lot of leadership and stability to the club - which coach Neil Henry has said about him.

Dallas Johnson made his 200th NRL appearance in round 21,2012 against the Canterbury Bulldogs, in a match where Dallas Johnson was named man of the match in a losing Cowboys side.

Dallas Johnson made 51 tackles and 75 metres from 10 hit-ups in the game.

In 2013 Dallas Johnson announced that it would be his last season but was forced into retirement earlier due to a mid-season knee injury.