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Born | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | 16 June 1976||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Height | 190 cm (6 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 113 kg (17 st 11 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Prop | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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John Skandalis (born 16 June 1976) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a prop in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s.
He played for the Western Suburbs Magpies and for the Wests Tigers in two separate spells in the National Rugby League (NRL). Skandalis also played for the Huddersfield Giants in the Super League and City Origin between 2002 and 2006.
Skandalis was born in Sydney, New South Wales. The Skandalis family home in Lightning Ridge burnt down when John was six, causing the family to move to Ashfield, and later Minto. [4] Skandalis' mother died when he was in his teens, leaving his father to raise Skandalis and his sisters. He was "taken in" by Josie McGuinness, the mother of Kevin and Ken McGuinness, who, he says, "treated him like [a] son." [5]
Skandalis was the last original Western Suburbs player remaining at the Wests Tigers club after the merger in 2000. He signed on for the Magpies in the early 1990s after playing out his junior years with the Minto Cobras, and attending Sarah Redfern High School. [6] His first grade début came in round 9 of the 1996 season against the Penrith Panthers on 17 May. He made 10 appearances that season, including the Magpies last ever finals appearance against Cronulla on 6 September.
A regular in the starting team in 1997, Skandalis scored 3 tries from his 20 appearances. He scored his first in the 24 May match against the Gold Coast Titans, as they won 26–10. With the decline of the Magpies, Skandalis played in 34 games in the next 2 seasons, with only 5 being victories.
He scored the first try for the Wests Tigers in 2000.
Skandalis was known for his workhorse attitude and his never say die approach to rugby league and as the years progressed his performances gradually caught the attention of representative selectors. This was seen in both the 2002 and 2004 seasons where Skandalis was dually awarded with his first representative call up for City team in the annual City v. Country fixture. Skandalis was named the Wests Tigers' player of the year in 2002. [7]
Skandalis was a member of the Wests Tigers team which won the 2005 NRL Grand Final against the Cowboys. He was named in the Big League team of the year for the 2005 NRL season. [8] As NRL Premiers Wests faced Super League champions Bradford Bulls in the 2006 World Club Challenge. Skandalis played as a prop forward in the Tigers' 30–10 loss. Skandalis held the record for the most first grade games for the Wests Tigers with 185 appearances. In 2012 the record was surpassed by Chris Heighington, though Skandalis had previously played 64 games for Wests Magpies before the club merged.
On 14 June 2006, Skandalis signed a two-year contract to play in the Super League with the Huddersfield Giants, starting from the 2007 season. In 2008, Skandalis was made vice-captain of the squad, alongside Ryan Hudson. He led the team out against Wigan when regular captain Chris Thorman was injured.
Skandalis returned to Australia at the end of the 2008 season following a knee injury, picked up early in the season, which prevented him from participating further. Skandalis took up a post with Wests Tigers Youth Development. [9]
In 2009, Skandalis was named in the Wests Magpies NSW Cup side, but was recalled to the Wests Tigers team from round 11, after injuries to other players. [10] He remained in the first grade team for the rest of the season. After the end of the 2009 season, Skandalis announced he would be retiring and taking up the position of strength and conditioning coach with the Wests Tigers NYC team. [11] However, Skandalis returned to play for the Magpies in the middle of the 2010 season, and then, in July, made a shock comeback with the Tigers, [12] coach Tim Sheens saying, "I can't get rid of the guy." [13] Playing another 5 games, he fell just short of making his 250th NRL appearance. He is the oldest player to have played at the club, being 34 years and 73 days old in his last appearance for the club. [7] The inaugural "Philips Sports Dad of the Year" was awarded to Skandalis in late 2009, narrowly defeating Brett Kimmorley. [14] He donated the money to the Starlight Children's Foundation. Skandalis has been made a life member of the Western Suburbs club. [15]
Skandalis' Greek heritage made him eligible to represent Greece, which he did as captain. [16] He played for Greece in the 2009 Australian Mediterranean Shield. [17] Greece won the final 34–14 against Italy. [18]
Having spent two years with the Wests Tigers' NYC team, in 2012 Skandalis became the club's head conditioner. [19] He was removed from the position with the arrival of new coach Jason Taylor in 2014, [20] but remained in the club in other roles. In 2017, he became an assistant to the Wests Magpies ISP coach, former teammate Brett Hodgson. [21]
Skandalis has been involved in the Macquarie Fields Finding Jobs, Changing Lives program, helping troubled youth from the Macquarie Fields area. [5] He was made an NRL ambassador in 2017. [22]
The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional rugby league football team, based in the Inner West and South West Sydney. They have competed in the National Rugby League since being formed at the end of the 1999 NRL season as a joint-venture club between the Balmain Tigers and the Western Suburbs Magpies. The Wests Tigers started playing in the 2000 NRL season and they won their maiden premiership in 2005. It is one of only two clubs that has never lost a Grand Final in which it has participated. The club also won the final edition of the World Sevens in 2004.
The Western Suburbs Magpies are an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as they are commonly referred to, were one of the nine foundation clubs of the first New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia. The club, as a sole entity, departed the top-flight competition in 1999 after forming a 50–50 joint venture with Balmain Tigers to form the Wests Tigers. The club currently fields sides in the NSW State Cup, Ron Massey Cup (Opens), S.G. Ball Cup and Harold Matthews Cup competitions.
Brett Hodgson is an Australian rugby league coach and former professional player during the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s.
Shane Elford, is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a winger and centre in the 1990s and 2000s.
Liam Mark Fulton, also known by the nickname of "Bozo", is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. He played for the Wests Tigers in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. Fulton primarily played at lock. Considered to be a jokester, known for making prank phone calls, Fulton was also a noted clubman. Former team-mate Benji Marshall described him as, "not the biggest, he's not the strongest in the gym, he doesn't look athletic with his shirt off. He weighs only 96 kilograms. But he puts that body on the line every week, he makes his tackles and I have never played with a second-rower who runs a better line. He is so talented."
Todd Payten is an Australian professional rugby league coach who is the head coach of the North Queensland Cowboys in the NRL and former professional rugby league footballer.
Thomas Walter Raudonikis was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach. He played 40 International games and World Cup games as Australia representative halfback and captained his country in two matches of the 1973 Kangaroo tour.
Jason Taylor is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and a former professional rugby league footballer who played as a halfback in the 1990s and 2000s.
Michael Korkidas is a former Greece international rugby league footballer who played as a prop in the NRL, the Super League and was captain of Greece.
Steve Georgallis is a Greek professional rugby league football coach who is the head coach of Greece, an assistant coach for the North Queensland Cowboys in the NRL and former professional rugby league footballer.
Keith Victor Holman, MBE was an Australian Rugby League footballer, a national and state representative Halfback whose club career was played with Western Suburbs from 1949 to 1961.
Shannon Gallant is an Australian rugby league footballer. He has played in the National Rugby League (NRL) for the North Queensland Cowboys and the Wests Tigers. He primarily plays as a fullback and is known for his speed and small stature.
Noel Raymond Kelly was an Australian professional rugby league footballer and coach, who played at club, state and national levels. He was named among the country's finest footballers of the 20th century. Kelly played as a hooker, prop forward or lock for much of his top-grade career with the Western Suburbs Magpies, whom he played for in three consecutive NSWRFL grand finals from 1961 to 1963. Kelly was named at hooker of the Western Suburbs Magpies, Queensland and Australian teams of the 20th century.
Ben Roarty is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He played for the Melbourne Storm, Penrith Panthers, Huddersfield Giants and the Castleford Tigers, as a prop, second-row or lock.
James Tamou is an Australia international professional rugby league footballer who plays as a prop for the North Queensland Cowboys in the National Rugby League.
Chris McQueen is an England international rugby league footballer who plays as a second-row or loose forward for the Huddersfield Giants in the Super League.
Leo Clarke is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s who played in the National Rugby League for the St. George Illawarra Dragons and Western Suburbs. Leo Clarke is of Maori descent. Leo Clarke has been a Junior Pathways coach since 2010 for the Western Suburbs Magpies, Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs and the Penrith Panthers. Leo Clarke has also been involved with the NSW Maori Rugby League.
Nathan Waters is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2010s for the Wests Tigers of the National Rugby League. He primarily played as a halfback and as a hooker.
Suaia Matagi, also known by the nickname of "Sui", is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a prop for the Castleford Tigers in the Betfred Super League. He is both a New Zealand and Samoan international.
Leivaha Pulu is a Tonga international rugby league footballer who plays as a second-row, prop for the Norths Devils in the Hostplus Cup and is an extended Brisbane Broncos squad member.
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