The in-form utility could hardly breath after he reeled away in agony from a tackle with his nose splattered all over his face in the stunning 44-8 win over Canterbury before last week's bye.
Club medico, Dr Peter Hackney, worked his magic in the sheds to put the nose back in place and Donoghoe missed just 11 minutes of action, returning to the field to score a try and star in a win that has the Dolphins on 12 points and just two points outside the top eight.
"It was pretty rough to be honest. I went into a tackle and remember coming out of it and looking at a few of my teammates in shock," Donoghoe recalled.
"I had no idea what was going on. I went to touch my face and there was a hole in my face. I couldn't breathe out of (my nose) so I was mouth breathing.
"I had my mouthguard in so I was trying to take that out. It was a stressful moment.
"I was in a fair bit of pain but the doctor looked after me pretty good. He had two cracks at it."
Donoghoe played hooker against the Bulldogs but will return to the No.14 role he has made his own in Friday night's home clash at Suncorp Stadium with St George Illawarra.
Regular rake Jeremy Marshall-King trained well on Monday and is set to return from a nasty gash in his leg that had got infected.
Winger Jamayne Isaako said Donoghoe's courage in their last outing had been a huge boost to the squad.
"For him to come back from an injury like that certainly inspired the team," Isaako said.
"To have a bloke like that turn up even though they are busted showed the character that we have in the team. We build and thrive off that."
Donoghoe was modest about his actions.
"I did it early in the game and didn't want to let the boys down. It was important we got that win for our season," he said.
"There were other boys out there busted as well."
The 23-year-old was a star for Fiji in last year's Pacific Championships. Nicknamed "Donga", he is one of coach Kristian Woolf's favourite players and so long as he is fit will be chosen each week for his versatility, toughness and skill.
"The last two years I have been in and out of the team so be able to stick to one spot and for (Woolf) to have belief in me gives me heaps of confidence," he said.
"I am playing my best footy and I have been able to be consistent.
"Wherever the team needs me I am happy to jump in."
Dolphins forward Max Plath also trained on Monday but is no certainty to return from a foot injury that has kept him out since round seven.
