Education
Born in Camden, New South Wales, McDonnell is of Irish descent and attended Mount Carmel High School and Westfields Sports High School, while playing his junior football for All Saints Liverpool.
Born in Camden, New South Wales, McDonnell is of Irish descent and attended Mount Carmel High School and Westfields Sports High School, while playing his junior football for All Saints Liverpool.
He has previously played for National Rugby League clubs Wests Tigers, Newcastle Knights and in the Super League for Hull Kingston Rovers and Hull Football Club. He primarily plays fullback and wing. He was then signed by the Wests Tigers. In 2004, McDonnell played for the New South Wales Under-17s team
The next season, he played for the New South Wales Under-19s team and made his NRL debut for the Wests Tigers against the Penrith Panthers in Round 26 of the 2005 NRL season.
Having played one game for Tigers in 2005, McDonnell was named as the probable replacement for winger Pat Richards, if he was unable to overcome an ankle injury, to take his place in the 2005 NRL Grand Final team In 2006, McDonnell played on the wing in the Tigers" 30-10 loss to Super League champions Bradford Bulls in the 2006 World Club Challenge, and also played for the New South Wales Under-19s team and Junior Kangaroos.
In 2008, McDonnell made himself available for Ireland"s 2008 Rugby League World Cup campaign. Although named in the Ireland training squad for the World Cup, he was forced to withdraw through injury.
On 7 May 2009, McDonnell joined the Newcastle Knights mid-season for the remainder of the year, after being released from his Tigers contract.
At the conclusion of the 2011 NRL season, McDonnell was released by the Knights after being unwanted by incoming coach Wayne Bennett. At the beginning of 2012, McDonnell joined the Hull Kingston Rovers in the Super League on a 1-year contract, following his former Knights assistant coach Craig Sandercock. In June 2012, McDonnell played for the Exiles.
In his first year at the club, he helped the team to the 2013 Challenge Cup final against the Wigan Warriors where they were defeated 16-0.
On 3 July 2014, McDonnell joined Street Helens Reconstruction Finance Corporation mid-season for the remainder of the year, after resigning from his Hull F.C. contract. In October and November 2014, McDonnell played for Ireland in the 2014 European Cup.
He scored two tries on debut as Ireland beat France 22-12 in their European Cup opener. On 5 January 2015, McDonnell signed a train and trial contract to return to his first club Wests Tigers, in the hope of impressing for a second-tier contract.
On 30 April 2015, McDonnell rejoined Street Helens Reconstruction Finance Corporation effective immediately on a 2-year contract.
