Billy Tsikrikas
Billy Tsikrikas (born 11 May 1995) is a Greece international rugby league footballer who plays as prop , for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the NRL.
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Vasili Tsikrikas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 11 May 1995 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 193 cm (6 ft 4 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 109 kg (17 st 2 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Prop, Second-row | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: [1] As of 21 July 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Background
Tsikrikas was born in Sydney, Australia, and is of Greek descent.
Playing career
Early career
Tsikrikas played the majority of his junior football at St Marys Saints in the Ron Massey Cup until 2019 when he was signed to a development contract by the Penrith Panthers.[2] He represented the Greece national rugby league team on six occasions scoring four tries.
2019
Tsikrikas featured in the Penrith Panthers NSW Cup squad after earning a reserve grade contract, playing four games and scoring one try.[3]
2021
In 2021, Tsikrikas had a breakout season with the Penrith reserve grade team featuring in 13 games and scoring two tries.
Move to Belmore
2022
Freshly appointed Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs general manager Phil Gould, having initially recruiting Tsikrikas to the Penrith Panthers handed him a train-and-trial contract.[4] This is a conditional contract where players earn $1000 a week before being promoted to a Top 30 or development contract.
Tsikrikas began the season with the Canterbury NSW Cup team featuring in six games and scoring one try continuing his impressive form from Penrith.
A crisis struck the Canterbury football club as four players tested positive to COVID-19[5] As three more were injured, Phil Gould applied to the NRL for special exemption to allow Tsikrikas to replace his teammate Ava Seumanafagai on the bench for their Round 7 match against the Brisbane Broncos on Friday the 22nd of April 2022 at Suncorp Stadium
Tsikrikas, working as a teacher at Endeavour Sports High School, received the call up that he had long waited for throughout his career.
Tsikrikas was retained for the clash against the Sydney Roosters, in which he played a hand in the 16–12 win. Coming up with 30 tackles and 75 run metres including 2 tackle breaks from 29 minutes.
Billy was able to resign with the Canterbury Bulldogs for the 2023 NRL season.
Billy left the Canterbury Bulldogs on a year long loan to Castleford Tigers in the Super league.
He made his debut via the interchange against Hull Kingston Rovers.
References
- "Billy Tsikrikas - Career Stats & Summary - Rugby League Project". www.rugbyleagueproject.org.
- "Starting XVII: Is this how Greece will line up at the 2021 World Cup?". Rugby League News. May 20, 2020.
- "Billy Tsikrikas". Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.
- https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/nrl-trainandtrial-contracts-players-looking-to-keep-careers-alive-for-every-club/news-story/1d40c2c3d9dc72cc1ce2f01e99705dcf
- "Barrett's missing dozen as COVID tests Bulldogs depth". National Rugby League. April 20, 2022.