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Ben Dobbin

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Ben Dobbin
Born1966[1][2]
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Other namesDobbo
Occupation(s)radio host and sports journalist
Years active2011-present
Known forHosting radio programs on Triple M Brisbane and the Resonate Network
TelevisionNine News Queensland, The Footy Show

Benjamin McIntosh "Dobbo" Dobbin (born 1966) is an Australian radio presenter, sports journalist and rugby league commentator.[2][3]

Arguably best known for his association with sports journalism, he is currently a television sports reporter for Nine News and a rugby league commentator for the Triple M radio network.[4][5]

Dobbin also hosts a morning rural affairs program called Rural Queensland Today which airs on the Resonate network in regional Queensland.[6]

Media career

[edit]

Dobbin first came to notice following an appearance during a televised fundraising appeal on Channel 9 for victims of the 2010–2011 Queensland floods.[1] During a live cross to Ben Fordham in Condamine, Fordham invited his best friend Dobbin to appear on screen.[1]

Dobbin's appearance was well received by viewers and network executives who subsequently offered him a position as The Footy Show's Queensland correspondent, despite originally being from New South Wales.[1]

This led to Southern Cross Austereo executive Rex Morris offering Dobbin an unpaid spot on Triple M Brisbane's Dead Set Legends program hosted by Ben Ikin and Kevin Walters.[1] Morris, who owned the Resonate Broadcasting network in regional Queensland, subsequently offered Dobbin a job in 2016 as host of Rural Queensland Today, a morning rural affairs program heard on stations in Charleville, Charters Towers, Dalby, Emerald, Kingaroy, Longreach, Mount Isa and Roma.[1][6]

In 2017, Dobbin was announced as a co-host of Triple M's new local South East Queensland drive program The Luke Bradnam Show with Libby Trickett and Dobbo, alongside Luke Bradnam and Libby Trickett.[7] He then commenced as co-host of the local edition of The Rush Hour in 2022 alongside Leisel Jones and Liam Flanagan.[8][9]

From 2019, Dobbin has contributed breaking sports news to The Big Breakfast program on Triple M in Brisbane and has hosted his own Saturday morning program, Dead Set Dobbo.[10][11] In 2022, Dobbin joined the station's Sunday Sin Bin program, replacing Anthony Maroon.[12]

Dobbin is part of Triple M's NRL coverage during which he provides light hearted sideline updates during NRL games.[11]

On 14 March 2024, following South Sydney Rabbitohs' Round 2 defeat against the Brisbane Broncos at Lang Park, Dobbin interviewed South Sydney player Latrell Mitchell live on Triple M.[13] Dobbin's interview attracted considerable attention when Mitchell swore multiple times throughout the brief interview.[13] This led to a number of rugby league commentators and former players, including Phil Gould, Paul Kent, Anthony Maroon, Ryan Girdler and Ben Te'o criticising Mitchell for his behaviour with some accusing the NRL of failing to adequately reprimand Mitchell for such conduct, suggesting the NRL's reluctance to sanction him was indicative of special treatment - a claim NRL CEO Andrew Abdo denies.[14][15][16][17] However, Candice Warner criticised Dobbin for not cautioning Mitchell about his language during the interview.[17]

However, the incident also saw complaints lodged by the South Sydney Rabbitohs and Nine Entertainment who took issue with the fact Dobbin's sideline interview was filmed and shared on Triple M's social media channels.[18] The NRL subsequently advised their radio partners that they only have audio-only rights and are not permitted to film games or interviews, despite Triple M having done so for 18 months without issue.[19]

Dobbin is also a television sports reporter and commentator. He is currently a sports reporter for Nine News Queensland and has been part of the commentary team for the network's Queensland Cup rugby league coverage.

As a rugby league commentator, Dobbin's critique of the game and its players have occasionally attracted attention.[20][21][22]

Dobbin is also known for his close relationship with rugby league super coach Wayne Bennett. The two men initially butted heads at post match press conferences but found a shared love of all things bovine and farming.

Personal life

[edit]

Dobbin attended Riverview boarding school in Sydney where his only schoolfriend was Ben Fordham.[1] Fordham is godfather to Dobbin's children.[1][23]

At the age of 19, Dobbin secured employment as a jackaroo on Brunette Downs Station in the Northern Territory.[1] While working on Brunette Downs, Dobbin was inspired to pursue a career as an auctioneer after seeing an auctioneer working at the Brunette Downs Races.[1] This led to him commencing employment as an auctioneer with Primac Elders in Springsure, Queensland in 1999.[1] In 2001, Dobbin won "Young Auctioneer of the Year" at the Ekka in Brisbane.[1][24] He worked as an auctioneer until 2012 which saw him working in Moura and Meandarra.[1] In 2010, he started a meat wholesale business with the Hughes family called Rangeland Quality Meats.[1]

Dobbin has been married twice.[1] He attributes the challenge of owning and managing a cattle property during a severe drought as to why his first marriage broke down.[1]

Dobbin married his second wife in November 2021. While honeymooning on Hamilton Island, the manager of Qualia Resort confronted him about an unauthorised photo his wife had taken of Amal Clooney, who was visiting the island while her husband George Clooney was filming Ticket to Paradise.[25] After his wife sent the photo to Dobbin, he passed it on to a colleague at Channel 9 where it was subsequently used on Nine News. Dobbin said the confrontation prompted him and his wife to leave the island early, shortening their honeymoon by two days.[25] In a statement, a Hamilton Island spokesperson said that although Dobbin was given a warning about unauthorised photography, he was not asked to leave the island and was deeply apologetic.[25]

After the incident at Qualia, Dobbin has since refused to holiday at any resort striking a brand deal with Ibis Hotels as an ambassador under the cheekily named title of "Bedroom Bin Chicken".

In early 2022, Dobbin underwent heart surgery at St Andrew's Hospital in Brisbane where he had a stent inserted after the discovery of a major blockage.[26]

Dobbin is part of the ownership group which established the Western Power franchise representing Ipswich in the Brisbane Premier League T20 competition.[27][28]

In 2024 Dobbin suffered a serious neck injury while riding his tricycle in preparation for the QLD Finals of the Class Clown competition. After swerving to avoid a caterpillar, Dobbin collided with his training partner before crashing into a pole suffering a fracture to his C6 and C7. After a successful surgery Dobbin shelved his tricycle ambitions to focus on his family.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Shann, Kelly (18 March 2019). "Ben "Dobbo" Dobbin - Rural Australian Icon". Life Journey with Kelly Shann. Retrieved 20 March 2024. finally at 43 this year...
  2. ^ a b Read, Brent; Carayannis, Michael (9 October 2023). "Media profile: Ben "Dobbo" Dobbin". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 19 March 2024. Age: 47
  3. ^ "Current details". ABN Lookup. 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024. Entity name: Dobbin, Benjamin McIntosh; Main business location: QLD 4304
  4. ^ "Meet the team: Ben Dobbin - sports reporter". Nine News. 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024. Ben Dobbin is a Sports Reporter for Nine News Queensland.
  5. ^ "Triple M gets ready to kick off massive 2024 NRL season". radioinfo. 27 February 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  6. ^ a b Morris, Rex (3 November 2016). "The bush loves a story". Radioinfo. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  7. ^ "Triple M drive with Luke, Libby and Dobbo launches in Brisbane & Gold Coast". Mediaweek. 27 February 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  8. ^ Boland, Bray (13 December 2021). "Olympic legend Leisel Jones joins Triple M Queensland's new drive show". Radio Today. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  9. ^ Price, Amy (10 December 2021). "Leisel Jones will host Triple M Queensland's new drive show The Rush Hour with Ben Dobbin and Liam Flanagan". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  10. ^ Wilson, Zanda (7 December 2018). "Nick Cody replaces Lawrence Mooney on Triple M Brisbane's The Big Breakfast". Radio Today. Retrieved 20 March 2024. Ben 'Dobbo' Dobbin will also pop in next year from time to time with breaking sports news.
  11. ^ a b "Dead Set Dobbo now six days a week on Triple M Brisbane". Radio Today. 18 February 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  12. ^ "Triple M's Sunday Sin Bin replace Anthony Maroon after ugly blow up". The Courier-Mail. 21 July 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  13. ^ a b "'I don't care if I'm swearing': Latrell Mitchell slammed over expletive-laden interview". news.com.au. 15 March 2024. Retrieved 20 March 2024. He spoke with Ben Dobbin post-game about what happened as Souths blew a second half comeback to fall 0-2 for the season.
  14. ^ Harper, Lachlan (19 March 2024). "'Show respect': Phil Gould sends brutal warning to Latrell". Wide World of Sports. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  15. ^ Dampney, James (19 March 2024). "Paul Kent erupts over NRL's failure to sanction Latrell Mitchell". news.com.au. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  16. ^ "NRL CEO Andrew Abdo says Latrell Mitchell doesn't get special treatment". ABC News. 19 March 2024. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  17. ^ a b Goodwin, Sam (17 March 2024). "Candice Warner caught in NRL storm over comments defending Latrell Mitchell interview". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 21 March 2024. Candice fired back that Ben Dobbin, who was interviewing Mitchell, should have stepped in and told him he shouldn't be swearing so much
  18. ^ Chammas, Michael; Proszenko, Adrian; Eder, Billie (19 March 2024). "NRL blocks Triple M from filming interviews after Souths' complaints over Latrell". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  19. ^ Read, Brent; Carayannis, Michael (19 March 2024). "NRL puts radio partners on notice after Latrell Mitchell breaks expletive laden post-match interview". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  20. ^ "'It's just stupidity': Broncos accused of 'pattern' of lies after hiding star's court appearance". Herald Sun. 10 May 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2024. The sequence of events saw veteran NRL reporter Ben Dobbin blast the Broncos...
  21. ^ "'No, answer that question': Gorden Tallis fires up at journalist in fiery David Fifita contract debate". Fox Sports. 9 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2024. Tallis accused Dobbin of downplaying the news
  22. ^ "'I can't be responsible': Annesley, journo clash over hip drop furore as NRL's big problem laid bare". Fox League. 24 April 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2024. ...got into a heated discussion with leading journalist Ben Dobbin over the confusion from players on what constitutes a hip drop.
  23. ^ Fuda, Soraiya (16 September 2014). "How bizarre! Ben Fordham's goddaughter's pet dog gets taken by an eagle, yes, an eagle". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  24. ^ Jupp, Billy (14 July 2022). "Qld YAC winners, where are they now?". Queensland Country Life. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  25. ^ a b c "Triple M's Ben Dobbin reveals he left Hamilton Island's Qualia Resort over leaked Amal Clooney photo". The Courier-Mail. 20 January 2024. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  26. ^ Price, Amy (15 February 2022). "'You don't survive this': Triple M host Ben Dobbin reveals major heart scare". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  27. ^ Lems, David (25 March 2021). "Western Power franchise to represent Ipswich area in new T20 series". The Queensland Times. Retrieved 21 March 2024. The ownership group includes Ipswich-based duo Emmerson and Ben McAteer (chairman), along with broadcaster Ben Dobbin (director) and businessman Chris Liebke (director).
  28. ^ "Western Power Board of Directors". Western Power BPL. 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
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