Quickest Players in Rugby League

[NRLandSL]

Very hard to confidently say who are the quickest players in rugby league but for a bit of fun I’ve made a list of who I think are the quickest. I’ve also found top sprint speed stats aswell, though they definitely don’t entirely show who’s quickest. 

This list is pretty much how I believe a 100 metre sprint would go.

1.Jason Saab
Top Speed 37.7

2.Dom Young    
Top Speed 38

3.Matty Ashton   
Top Speed 36.5

4.Xavier Coates /    
Top Speed 36.4

5.Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
Top Speed 36.7

6.Josh Addo-Carr    
Top Speed 38.7

7.Tolutau Koula /    
Top Speed: ? 10:58 100M at 17

8.Xavier Savage
Top Speed: 35.9

9.Jai Field   
Top Speed: 36.1

10.Kaeo Weeks   
Top Seed: 35.7

HM-     
Jojo Fifita TS:36.9
Matt Duffy TS:36.6
Ash Handley TS:36     
Alofiana Khan-Pereira TS:36
Kalyn Ponga TS:35.9
Tyrone Munro TS:?
 

[The Future is League]

11 minutes ago, NRLandSL said:

Very hard to confidently say who are the quickest players in rugby league but for a bit of fun I’ve made a list of who I think are the quickest. I’ve also found top sprint speed stats aswell, though they definitely don’t entirely show who’s quickest. 

This list is pretty much how I believe a 100 metre sprint would go.

1.Jason Saab
Top Speed 37.7

2.Dom Young    
Top Speed 38

3.Matty Ashton   
Top Speed 36.5

4.Xavier Coates /    
Top Speed 36.4

5.Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
Top Speed 36.7

6.Josh Addo-Carr    
Top Speed 38.7

7.Tolutau Koula /    
Top Speed: ? 10:58 100M at 17

8.Xavier Savage
Top Speed: 35.9

9.Jai Field   
Top Speed: 36.1

10.Kaeo Weeks   
Top Seed: 35.7

HM-     
Jojo Fifita TS:36.9
Matt Duffy TS:36.6
Ash Handley TS:36     
Alofiana Khan-Pereira TS:36
Kalyn Ponga TS:35.9
Tyrone Munro TS:?
 

I think we can dismiss Addo-Carr's time with his drug history

[NRLandSL]

3 minutes ago, The Future is League said:

I think we can dismiss Addo-Carr's time with his drug history

Yes, wouldn’t be surprising. 38.7 is a massive outlier, that was in 2022, and in the last two years he managed 36.7 in 2023, and 35.6 this year.

[Jonty58]

18 minutes ago, NRLandSL said:

Very hard to confidently say who are the quickest players in rugby league but for a bit of fun I’ve made a list of who I think are the quickest. I’ve also found top sprint speed stats aswell, though they definitely don’t entirely show who’s quickest. 

This list is pretty much how I believe a 100 metre sprint would go.

1.Jason Saab
Top Speed 37.7

2.Dom Young    
Top Speed 38

3.Matty Ashton   
Top Speed 36.5

4.Xavier Coates /    
Top Speed 36.4

5.Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
Top Speed 36.7

6.Josh Addo-Carr    
Top Speed 38.7

7.Tolutau Koula /    
Top Speed: ? 10:58 100M at 17

8.Xavier Savage
Top Speed: 35.9

9.Jai Field   
Top Speed: 36.1

10.Kaeo Weeks   
Top Seed: 35.7

HM-     
Jojo Fifita TS:36.9
Matt Duffy TS:36.6
Ash Handley TS:36     
Alofiana Khan-Pereira TS:36
Kalyn Ponga TS:35.9
Tyrone Munro TS:?
 

Ponga is no where near that speed nowadays.

 

The NRL place more emphasis on blinding acceleration than 100 metre speeds.

Its how quick they get to their top speed that breaks a defensive team down and what they can do from 20- 40 metres out from the try line.

[NRLandSL]

8 minutes ago, Jonty58 said:

Ponga is no where near that speed nowadays.

 

The NRL place more emphasis on blinding acceleration than 100 metre speeds.

It’s how quick they get to their top speed that breaks a defensive team down and what they can do from 20- 40 metres out from the try line.

He got that speed last season.

Your own post for reference:   

I totally agree, Acceleration is valued far more than max speed in rugby league.

[JDR]

2 hours ago, NRLandSL said:

 

I totally agree, Acceleration is valued far more than max speed in rugby league.

Yep, I remember a player like Graham Steadman could get up to speed very quickly (and in the mud), and this would often take him through 1 or 2 attempted tackles straight away.

[Stirlin]

8 hours ago, JDR said:

Yep, I remember a player like Graham Steadman could get up to speed very quickly (and in the mud), and this would often take him through 1 or 2 attempted tackles straight away.

Going on the blindside from the PTB close to touchline and scoring against the Aussies was memorable.

[Futtocks]

10 hours ago, NRLandSL said:

Very hard to confidently say who are the quickest players in rugby league but for a bit of fun I’ve made a list of who I think are the quickest. I’ve also found top sprint speed stats aswell, though they definitely don’t entirely show who’s quickest. 

This list is pretty much how I believe a 100 metre sprint would go.

1.Jason Saab
Top Speed 37.7

2.Dom Young    
Top Speed 38

3.Matty Ashton   
Top Speed 36.5

4.Xavier Coates /    
Top Speed 36.4

5.Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
Top Speed 36.7

6.Josh Addo-Carr    
Top Speed 38.7

7.Tolutau Koula /    
Top Speed: ? 10:58 100M at 17

8.Xavier Savage
Top Speed: 35.9

9.Jai Field   
Top Speed: 36.1

10.Kaeo Weeks   
Top Seed: 35.7

HM-     
Jojo Fifita TS:36.9
Matt Duffy TS:36.6
Ash Handley TS:36     
Alofiana Khan-Pereira TS:36
Kalyn Ponga TS:35.9
Tyrone Munro TS:?
 

Somewhere Lee Oudenryn checks the list, shrugs nonchalantly and blows the dust off his old Rugby boots.

[Phil]

On 26/11/2024 at 19:58, Futtocks said:

Somewhere Lee Oudenryn checks the list, shrugs nonchalantly and blows the dust off his old Rugby boots.

Martin Offiah mentions in his autobiography how Oudenryn dined out for years on the fact that he beat Offiah over a 100 metre challenge.

Offiah then states “he somehow forgot to mention I went past him for three tries in the subsequent game” 

[Kirmonds pouch]

Speeds no good without the rest. Tom Johnstone was very quick when young but never the fastest, not even at Trinity. What made him appear to be one of the fastest, as commentators relentlessly claimed, was his ability to be in the right place at the right time to receive the ball, and the uncanny ability to put the ball down when he got to the next place. This ability was and remains way more important than any 0.3 second time advantage. Pace is in the mind as well as the body.

Edited November 28, 2024 by Kirmonds pouch

[Exiled Wiganer]

What I like about Field is that his style is so smooth you can only tell he is moving at warp speed when you see others trailing in his wake. It wasn’t focussed on because Wardle dropped the ball over the line but in the break before that towards the end of the Grand Final, Field left Burgess for dead on his outside, and Burgess can run. 

Edited November 28, 2024 by Exiled Wiganer

[M j M]

On 26/11/2024 at 19:58, Futtocks said:

Somewhere Lee Oudenryn checks the list, shrugs nonchalantly and blows the dust off his old Rugby boots.

 

[TheYoungBaron]

One of the quickest players I've ever seen was Lee Crooks.

He was playing in a night match in Fev  v Cas. After the match, we travelled into Cas, taking an age to get out of the ground and traffic jams. Finally got into the Junction only to find Lee on his second pint! 

 

How quick was that ? Played 80 minutes, showered and changed and driven back to cas! Beats Usain Bolt any day of the week.

 

Happy days

[Jonty58]

20 hours ago, Phil said:

Martin Offiah mentions in his autobiography how Oudenryn dined out for years on the fact that he beat Offiah over a 100 metre challenge.

Offiah then states “he somehow forgot to mention I went past him for three tries in the subsequent game” 

Offiah’s memories do not line up with facts

Offiah scored two tries and it was not one on one situations with Oudenryn.

Great Britain lost to a Club side and “Chariots” was up against a player with just  5 first game appearances.

 

Edited November 29, 2024 by Jonty58

[roughyed8]

21 hours ago, Phil said:

Martin Offiah mentions in his autobiography how Oudenryn dined out for years on the fact that he beat Offiah over a 100 metre challenge.

Offiah then states “he somehow forgot to mention I went past him for three tries in the subsequent game” 

And the rest of the GB squad rinsed the bookies by backing Oudenryn.

Edited November 29, 2024 by roughyed8

[Just Browny]

14 hours ago, Exiled Wiganer said:

What I like about Field is that his style is so smooth you can only tell he is moving at warp speed when you see others trailing in his wake. It wasn’t focussed on because Wardle dropped the ball over the line but in the break before that towards the end of the Grand Final, Field left Burgess for dead on his outside, and Burgess can run. 

Yes. I think of Field and Dufty as having a similar running style, in that they have a very clear eye for the 'shape' of the run they have to make so they can run on an arc without losing speed or looking like it is much of an effort.

[Phil]

3 hours ago, Jonty58 said:

Offiah’s memories do not line up with facts

Offiah scored two tries and it was not one on one situations with Oudenryn.

Great Britain lost to a Club side and “Chariots” was up against a player with just  5 first game appearances.

 

To be fair to Offiah it’s probably my recollection which is wrong, I didn’t dig out the book for a verbatim quote 

[Anita Bath]

The young Ellery was pretty fast…….scored a magnificent long range try in challenge cup semi final at Headingley for Bradford one year where he left the opposition for dead.

[graveyard johnny]

no mention of Des Drummond or Keith Fielding ? - what were their 100m sprint times on tvs superstars?

[Damien]

23 hours ago, Exiled Wiganer said:

What I like about Field is that his style is so smooth you can only tell he is moving at warp speed when you see others trailing in his wake. It wasn’t focussed on because Wardle dropped the ball over the line but in the break before that towards the end of the Grand Final, Field left Burgess for dead on his outside, and Burgess can run. 

While obviously in attack you see his pace it's always in defence when his speed truly astonishes me. A number of times over the last few years I have thought he has left it way too late, and given himself far too much to do, then out of nowhere he closes the space and tackles the attacker into touch.

I remember against Saints on Good Friday a couple of years ago he pulled off a phenomenal tackle when I was certain he'd completely messed up by giving way too much room. I'm not sure if anyone else could have pulled that off. He did similar in the WCC too.

[Copa]

On 26/11/2024 at 20:00, NRLandSL said:

Very hard to confidently say who are the quickest players in rugby league but for a bit of fun I’ve made a list of who I think are the quickest. I’ve also found top sprint speed stats aswell, though they definitely don’t entirely show who’s quickest. 

This list is pretty much how I believe a 100 metre sprint would go.

1.Jason Saab
Top Speed 37.7

2.Dom Young    
Top Speed 38

3.Matty Ashton   
Top Speed 36.5

4.Xavier Coates /    
Top Speed 36.4

5.Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
Top Speed 36.7

6.Josh Addo-Carr    
Top Speed 38.7

7.Tolutau Koula /    
Top Speed: ? 10:58 100M at 17

8.Xavier Savage
Top Speed: 35.9

9.Jai Field   
Top Speed: 36.1

10.Kaeo Weeks   
Top Seed: 35.7

HM-     
Jojo Fifita TS:36.9
Matt Duffy TS:36.6
Ash Handley TS:36     
Alofiana Khan-Pereira TS:36
Kalyn Ponga TS:35.9
Tyrone Munro TS:?
 

Xavier Savage ran 100m in 10.85 and 60m in 6.91 in his prime. He says he actually ran a 10.5 100m at one point too.

https://worldathletics.org/athletes/australia/xavier-savage-14768387

[The Future is League]

9 hours ago, graveyard johnny said:

no mention of Des Drummond or Keith Fielding ? - what were their 100m sprint times on tvs superstars?

Des was clocked at 10.85 for the 100 metres in superstars.

[graveyard johnny]

1 hour ago, The Future is League said:

Des was clocked at 10.85 for the 100 metres in superstars.

and that would be without all the modern training regimes and technical backroom stuff of today - he would have prob been on a night out the night before 

[Agbrigg]

Lets go back even further, what about Berwyn Jones ? olympic relay sprint bronze medalist and once did 10.3 over 100m .

Remember him playing at Trinity and he was rapid once in open space, however as a RL player he was very green .

 

Then there is Chambers but I believe he never actually signed for Cas only a  trialist

[Snowys Backside]

If the kid in 7th has ran 10.58 for the 100m, look no further !

 

Dessis run in Superstars was amazingly quick for that era, and he was a slow starter too. 
 

The quickest in his Leigh side over 30m at that time was John Woods and that was with 20 B and H in one hand and a pint of mild in the other !