NRL 2022: Covid crisis hits Bulldogs ahead of Broncos clash

Meet the Sydney school teacher pulled from anonymity to help save a Covid-ravaged Bulldogs for Friday night’s match against Brisbane Broncos.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 15: Paul Vaughan of the Bulldogs and teammates look dejected during the round six NRL match between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Canterbury Bulldogs at Stadium Australia, on April 15, 2022, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

From the classroom to the Cauldron.

This is battling Billy Tsikrikas — the Sydney school teacher pulled from anonymity to help save a Covid-ravaged Bulldogs for Friday night’s match against Brisbane.

Tsikrikas, the Milperra-born Endeavour Sports High School teacher, will play prop when coming off the bench for the Suncorp Stadium game which will attract a crowd of more than 20,000 fans.

Despite being aged 26, Tsikrikas has never played an NRL game.

Tsikrikas was photographed alongside fellow Bulldogs debutant, winger Jacob Kiraz, at Sydney Airport on Thursday afternoon.

Kiraz and Tsikrikas were called into Canterbury’s side after the club was knocked around by a Covid outbreak which sidelined four players — Jake Averillo, Ava Seumanufagai, Brent Naden and Reece Hoffman.

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Jacob Kiraz and Billy Tsikrikas will make their NRL debuts for the Bulldogs as injuries and Covid cases take their toll on the squad. Picture: Bulldogs Digital.

Standing 194cm and weighing 106 kgs, Tsikrikas has played for Kingsgrove Colts, Glebe Burwood Wolves and Western Suburbs before representing Sydney Roosters under 20s during 2015 and then Penrith in NSW Cup during 2019 and 2021.

Tsikrikas attended Endeavour Sports High as a student and then returned as a teacher. When at school, Tsikrikas played with South Sydney winger Alex Johnston, Parramatta‘s Shaun Lane and the Sydney Roosters’ Paul Momirovski. He has been playing reserve grade this season.

“Billy’s a big lump of a kid who has been around for a few years. It will be a big first-up assignment but from what I hear he will be ready and up for the challenge,” said former Bulldogs Test forward David Gillespie.

Kiraz, 20, has previously played for North Queensland, Newcastle and Lebanon. He played juniors for St Johns Eagles in Punchbowl and was chosen in the St George Dragons SG Ball train on squad.

Alex Johnston (left), Shaun Lane (middle), Billy Tsikrikas (right) and Paul Momirovski (back) all played together at Endeavour Sports High.

“Jacob is a player with plenty of promise. He is only young and this experience – playing at Lang Park - will be invaluable to his growth as a player,” said former Bulldogs grand final-winning winger Steve Gearin.

“He has to play to his ability, do his job and be himself.”

Bulldogs coach Trent Barrett added: “This is a huge opportunity for some of our young blokes.”

The depleted Bulldogs struggled through captain’s run on Thursday morning before flying to Brisbane.

With Covid and injuries, Canterbury has 12 players unavailable from their 30-man NRL squad for the Broncos game.

The Bulldogs reported no further Covid dramas on Thursday.

“We continue to be extremely diligent with the daily testing of our players and staff, however we‘d be naive to think Covid won’t strike at certain times throughout the season,” said Bulldogs CEO Aaron Warburton.

“Like everyone in the community, we are learning to live with Covid, but that doesn’t mean we will be any less vigilant moving forward.”

Under NRL rules, 24 players must to travel on away trips due to Covid. Several players from outside the club’s top 30 roster have been allowed to travel.

REVEALED: THE BULLDOGS’ NO-NAME COVID SAVIOURS

A Sutherland Shire high school teacher and a Canterbury local junior will be part of a Covid rescue mission after the Bulldogs were hit with four positive cases on Wednesday morning.

Endeavour Sports High School teacher Billy Tsikrikas, 26, is set to debut from the bench against Brisbane on Friday night at Suncorp Stadium.

Tsikrikas played alongside South Sydney star Alex Johnston and Parramatta‘s Shaun Lane for Endeavour Sports High School in the Schoolboy Cup, before a stint at the Penrith Panthers.

Lebanon international Jacob Kiraz will start at centre. The St Johns Eagles junior spent time with St George Illawarra, North Queensland, and Newcastle before returning home to Belmore this season.

Canterbury local junior Jacob Kiraz is set for an NRL call-up as the Bulldogs are decimated by injuries and Covid. Picture: Phil Hillyard

The Bulldogs preparation for the Broncos clash were thrown into disarray after four players, Jake Averillo, Brent Naden, Ava Seumanufagai and Reece Hoffman returned positive to Covid-19 tests, compounding Barrett’s injury woes.

Eight players including Braidon Burns (hamstring), Chris Patolo (concussion) and Brandon Wakeham (calf) are already unavailable with injury.

“For the guys that do come in, it‘s a huge opportunity for them,” Barrett said. “Some of them were fifth and sixth on the depth chart and all of a sudden they are going to play Brisbane on a Friday night in front of hopefully 20 or 30,000 people. It’s a huge opportunity for the young blokes who didn’t think they would get a crack.

“We might unearth someone.”

Bulldogs’ dinner photo from social media.

Jayden Okunbor has been recalled into the side for Naden on the wing. Bailey Biondi-Odo has been promoted onto the bench for Wakeham.

While Barrett is confident the Bulldogs will be able to field a competitive outfit for the round seven clash, the bigger concern is for the club’s lower grade sides.

Canterbury‘s NSW Cup side and Jersey Flegg outfit are scheduled to play in Sydney on Saturday but if the Covid crisis deepens over the next 48 hours even more players will need to be plucked from outside of the top 30 squad.

On Wednesday evening, the Bulldogs confirmed Saturday’s NSW Cup game against Mounties has been moved to Sunday at Belmore Oval, with the Jersey Flegg game against Victoria Thunderbolts postponed until May 14.

Bulldogs players train at Belmore Sports Ground on Wednesday (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

“In terms of our NRL game, we’ll be fine,” Barrett said. “We’ve put together a side we know will be competitive and we’re going up there expecting to win. It just puts pressure on our lower grades more than anything.

“It affects your bench, because everyone is moving up through the system, it‘s the lower grades that are really going to suffer.”

Barrett confirmed the side would travel to Brisbane after a Captain’s Run session on Thursday as scheduled.

COVID and injury issues @NRL_Bulldogs this morning. Players have been sent for PCR tests to confirm RAT results. We will be applying to NRL for exemptions to fill our player quotas for this trip to Brisbane. The world these days 💪👊

— Phil Gould (@PhilGould15) April 19, 2022

Too many https://t.co/1jSJTPdyk2

— Phil Gould (@PhilGould15) April 19, 2022

But in a bid to avoid any cross-contamination, the fresh faces called into the 24-man squad will be forced to travel separately to those in the top 30.

“We’ve got to take 24 but we’ll take 19 up separately,” Barrett said. “We don’t want to throw in the other five or six guys with the players who may be infected and get positive tests in the next 48 hours.

“Admin is working overtime to get some exemptions for players just in case we do get to Brisbane and there are more players who test positive to it.

“Hopefully over the next 48 hours there will be no more.”

Jayden Okunbor is a chance to be called up for the trip to Brisbane.

While Barrett conceded even more players could be ruled out and forced into a 7-day isolation, the coach insisted Friday night‘s game would go ahead.

“It has to go ahead. We‘ve got our obligations to the league and the fans to play,” he said. “I’m not worried about the quality of our team. It will be harder if any more go down.

“It’s just they have been training together all week, that’s the issue.”

A large majority of the Bulldogs squad went for dinner on Tuesday night at a middle-eastern restaurant in Illawong.

Around 11 players including Tevita Pangai Jr, Kyle Flanagan, Aaron Schoupp, Bailey Biondi-Odo, Jayden Okunbor and Max King were at the dinner.

All the players that attended the restaurant trained on Wednesday, but the dinner is sure to have Bulldogs officials on edge.

Originally published as NRL 2022: Covid crisis hits Bulldogs ahead of Broncos clash