{{Short description|Former Greece international rugby league footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}} {{Use Australian English|date=July 2013}} {{Infobox rugby league biography |name = Michael Korkidas |fullname = |image = Michael Korkidas.JPG |image_size = 285 |caption = |birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1981|1|12|df=yes}} |birth_place = Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |height = {{convert|1.86|m|ftin|abbr=on}} |weight = {{convert|107|kg|stlb|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wakefieldwildcats.co.uk/squad/first-team-squad/8-michael-korkidas/|title=Official site of the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats|year=2011|work=web page|publisher=Wakefield wildcats|accessdate=16 June 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110314194946/http://www.wakefieldwildcats.co.uk/squad/first-team-squad/8-michael-korkidas/|archivedate=14 March 2011}}</ref> |position = {{rlp|PR}} |club1 = Sydney Roosters |year1start = 2001 |year1end = 02 |appearances1 = 8 |tries1 = 0 |goals1 = 0 |fieldgoals1 = 0 |points1 = 0 |club2 = {{nowrap|Wakefield Trinity Wildcats}} |year2start = 2003 |year2end = 06 |appearances2 = 109 |tries2 = 11 |goals2 = 0 |fieldgoals2 = 0 |points2 = 44 |club3 = Salford City Reds |year3start = 2007 |year3end = 08 |appearances3 = 27 |tries3 = 1 |goals3 = 0 |fieldgoals3 = 0 |points3 = 4 |club4 = Castleford Tigers |year4start = 2008 |year4end = |appearances4 = 22 |tries4 = 1 |goals4 = 0 |fieldgoals4 = 0 |points4 = 4 |club5 = Huddersfield Giants |year5start = 2009 |year5end = |appearances5 = 6 |tries5 = 1 |goals5 = 0 |fieldgoals5 = 0 |points5 = 4 |club6 = {{nowrap|Wakefield Trinity Wildcats}} |year6start = 2009 |year6end = 11 |appearances6 = 62 |tries6 = 4 |goals6 = 0 |fieldgoals6 = 0 |points6 = 16 |club7 = Keighley Cougars |year7start = 2012 |year7end = |appearances7 = 26 |tries7 = 0 |goals7 = 0 |fieldgoals7 = 0 |points7 = 0 |teamA = Greece |yearAstart = 2013 |yearAend = 18 |appearancesA = 6 |triesA = 2 |goalsA = 0 |fieldgoalsA = 0 |pointsA = 8 |updated = |source = <ref>[http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/Michael_Korkidas.html Rugby League Project]</ref><ref>{{Rugby league records|title=Michael Korkidas|id=968|access-date=3 October 2023}}</ref> |retired = yes }}
'''Michael Korkidas''' ({{langx|el|Μιχαλης Κορκιδας}}; on 12 January 1981) is a former Greece international rugby league footballer who played as a {{rlp|pr}} in the NRL, the Super League and was captain of Greece.
==Background== Korkidas was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
==Playing career== ===Early Career in Australia=== While attending Marist College Kogarah, Korkidas played for the Australian Schoolboys team in 1998.<ref>{{cite web|title=SportingPulse Homepage for Australian Secondary Schools Rugby League|url=http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?c=7-2130-0-0-0&sID=26424|accessdate=2008-10-10|publisher=SportingPulse}}</ref>
Korkidas made his professional rugby league début for the Sydney Roosters in the NRL in Australia in 2001. He played two seasons at the club. At the end of the 2002 season, he joined up with Super League's Wakefield Trinity Wildcats.
===Super League Career (2003 – 2012)=== Korkidas played in the Super League from 2003 until 2012, playing for a number of clubs. These clubs are: Wakefield Trinity Wildcats (2003 – 2006), Salford City Reds (2007 – 2008), Castleford Tigers (2008), Huddersfield Giants (2009) and returning to the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats in 2009 (until 2011) and finally, the Keighley Cougars (2012 – for one season).
He signed with Huddersfield Giants on a three-year contract from 2009 after negotiating a release from Castleford for his final season.<ref name="Korkidas released by Tigers">{{cite web|url=http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12196_4227019,00.html|title=Korkidas released by Tigers|publisher=Sky Sports|date=2008-09-30|accessdate=2008-10-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|publisher=giantsrl.com|title=Korkidas joins Huddersfield Giants|url=http://www.rleague.com/db/article.php?id=31750|accessdate=2008-11-08|date=23 October 2008|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081023202430/http://www.rleague.com/db/article.php?id=31750|archivedate=23 October 2008}}</ref> However, in late May 2009, Korkidas returned to Wakefield mid-season in a deal with both clubs.<ref>[http://www.rleague.com/db/player/k/korkidas_michael/index.php Korkidas, Michael] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100103051256/http://rleague.com/db/player/k/korkidas_michael/index.php |date=3 January 2010 }}. rleague.com. Retrieved on 2012-03-14.</ref> He remained at the club until the end of the 2011 season.
In October 2011, he joined his old playing colleague Jason Demetriou, at the newly promoted Keighley Cougars for the 2012 season in the Championship.<ref>. Keighley Cougars. Retrieved on 2012-03-14.</ref> At the end of the season, he retired from the Super league, and returned to Australia. There is no mention of Korkidas returning to the NRL at this stage.
===Return to Australia (2013 – present)=== After his high-profile career in England, Korkidas returned to Australia in 2013 to ease off his playing career. He joined the Dapto Canaries club in 2013, a team that are playing in the Illawarra Rugby League competition. Korkidas finished his rugby league career with the club at the end of the 2014 season.
He also played for the Illawarra Cutters club in their final two games of the 2013 season. They participate in the NSW Cup, the NRL's NSW feeder competition for the St George Illawarra Dragons.
==Representative career== Korkidas captained Greece in the team's first official international match in 2013, a 90–0 win over Hungary.<ref>{{cite web |title=Anasta Predicts Promising Future For Rugby League in Greece |url=https://europeanrugbyleague.com/articles/738/ireland-0-56-wales |website=European Rugby League |access-date=28 July 2022}}</ref>
Korkidas captained Greece for Thailand's Chang 13 first international match at King Mongkut's Institute of Technology, Ladkrabang, Bangkok, Thailand; Greece beat Thailand 90–0, 24-0 half time winning the Eurasia cup on 12 October 2013, although this was not a test-match.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Rugby League Review|title=History made in Greece|url=http://www.rleague.com/db/article.php?id=26896|accessdate=2007-10-29|date=2006-10-29|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061115220946/http://www.rleague.com/db/article.php?id=26896|archivedate=15 November 2006}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/Michael_Korkidas.html Michael Korkidas Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Korkidas, Michael}} Category:1981 births Category:Living people Category:Australian people of Greek descent Category:Australian rugby league players Category:Australian expatriate rugby league players in England Category:Castleford Tigers players Category:Greece national rugby league team captains Category:Greece national rugby league team players Category:Greek expatriate sportspeople in England Category:Huddersfield Giants players Category:Keighley Cougars players Category:Rugby league players from Sydney Category:Rugby league props Category:Salford RLFC players Category:Sydney Roosters players Category:Wakefield Trinity players Category:People educated at Marist College Kogarah Category:21st-century Australian sportsmen