By Alan Nicolea -
May 22nd 2009 @ 1:08am
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Tigers’ finest servant ready to be their saviour
Tigers prop John Skandalis was always known for his never-say-die attitude. His tenacity to roll up his sleeves when others could not has prompted him to once again answer an SOS call from coach Tim Sheens to prepare for battle against the high flying Brisbane Broncos.
On the back of injuries to star forwards Bryce Gibbs and Keith Galloway, Skandalis has been called upon from the NSW Cup to resume an NRL career that spans 271 first grade games, which included a premiership victory in 2005.
And at 32 years of age, one still feels that Skandalis has enough football left in him to make an impact.
Skandalis has played ten NSW Cup games for the Western Suburbs Magpies this season in order to re-tune himself for the rigors of NRL football.
His last NRL game was against the Rabbitohs at Leichardt Oval during the 2006 season.
After ending his tenure with the Tigers, he signed a two year contract with the Huddersfield Giants in the English Super league, where he played 41 matches.
He then returned to Australia to assume a position as the Tigers’ community liason officer before deciding to make himself available for NSW Cup selection.
The road has since led to a much anticipated return against the Brisbane Broncos in what is becoming a critical game for the Tigers.
Hooker and captain Robbie Farah is still in doubt for the game, due to the concussion he suffered against the Rabbitohs last week.
Despite his limited game time this season, Skandalis will be charged with laying a platform against a Broncos pack that contains inform players Nick Kenny, Joel Clinton, Corey Parker and Sam Thaiday.
Not that Skandalis has ever been one to back down from a challenge.
Throughout his career, Skandalis was never a constant in finals football, nor was he in the reckoning for a NSW Origin jersey.
He kept plying his trade in a side that did not have the players necessary to challenge for a premiership.
Fast forward into the new millenium and Skandalis would only have to wait five more seasons to register his first premiership ring with a Tigers team that contained stars Benji Marshall, Scott Prince, Robbie Farah, Anthony Laffranchi, Brett Hodgson, Dene Halatau and Chris Heighington.
It just shows that with persistence, one can go a long way to achieving deserved success.
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Greg Russell said | May 22nd 2009 @ 3:40pm | Report comment
Alan, thanks for this great story, at exactly at a time when rugby league needs more positive stories like this. I have always thought that Skandalis was very hard done by to miss out on the 2005 Kangaroo tour after he was instrumental in the miracle of the W-T premiership. Such selection would have been exactly the sort of honour that this salt-of-the-earth player deserved.
Alan Nicolea said | May 22nd 2009 @ 5:52pm | Report comment
Greg
Thanks mate. I write articles about rugby league because i support the code a lot and will continue to write stories that provide the game with a positive light, even in these dark times. I thank you for your support buddy.
Cheers.
sportsfanslife.com said | May 22nd 2009 @ 10:39pm | Report comment
What a Champion, what a Magpie, what a Tiger, what a shame he couldn’t get a win. 32 years young and still able to lay on two tries (albeit one disallowed in a 50/50 call) with pure enthusiasm. Let’s hope he stays in the team for a while yet!