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The saying goes that “you can’t coach speed” and that’s probably true, although good coaching will certainly both increase it and hang on to the speed you’ve got for longer.
Now that the spectacle of the biff, barge and shoulder charges are a thing of the past, there’s nothing better than watching some of the modern game’s speedmen tearing down the field and leaving the opposition defenders in their wake, and the game has been blessed with quick men since day one.
When I started watching the game in the mid-60s nearly every team had their marquee speedster, ready to bring the crowd to their feet and scorch down the sideline when the ball came their way.
In those days, these flyers invariably played on the wing, although sometimes speed merchants like Reg Gasnier found themselves playing in the centres.
Looking back at the speed me, there was the legendary Ken Irvine from North Sydney, his less famous but perhaps faster cousin Dave Irvine from Parramatta, and underrated speedsters like St George’s Stan Gorton and the Eels’ Dave Brown.
No less thrilling were Manly’s phenomenal Nick Yakich and his teammate Les Hanigan, Newtown’s Reg Hatton and Johnny Mowbray from the Magpies. There’s also Balmain pair Paul Cross and Larry Corowa, Warren Thompson from Norths, and of course Souths’ Mike Cleary, a former Commonwealth Games sprinter, and probably the fastest of them all.
Quite a lineup, and believe me, there wouldn’t be many quicker players than this lot running around today. The game has certainly moved on, and today’s footballers are not only bigger and stronger but on average much faster than yesterday’s heroes.
There are more speedsters than ever before, and everyone has an opinion about who are the fastest players in the game, while technology like Telstra Tracker claims to be able to provide the answer.
(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
That is unless every player is being measured on a continual basis and over the same distances, I believe its results are misleading and prefer to rely upon my own observations.
Here are my contenders for the fastest players at each club.
Brisbane Broncos – When it comes to acceleration over 40 to 50 metres, there’s no one in the game more exhilarating than Reece Walsh and Ezra Mam, but whether they’re the quickest over the length of the field is debatable.
That honour might just belong to winger Deine Mariner, particularly now that Selwyn Cobbo has bulked up and probably lost a yard or two of pace.
Sydney Roosters – Dominic Young is hands-down the fastest of the Roosters and would have some claims to be the quickest in the competition. Surely no one could run him down.
Parramatta Eels – The Eels lack any absolute speedsters in their outside backs but probably boast the fastest halves pairing in the competition in Mitchell Moses and Dylan Brown.
Moses, now in his 11th season still looks as quick as he was when he debuted for the Tigers back in 2014.
Canterbury Bulldogs – Josh Addo-Carr has not only been the fastest Bulldog since he joined them in 2022 but also has been a popular pick as the fastest player in the NRL for some time, although a spate of injuries may have dimmed his speed somewhat in recent times.
Sprint training at Belmore must be interesting as Stephen Crichton, Jacob Kiraz, Connor Tracey, Bronson Xerri and Blake Wilson can all motor.
(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
North Queensland Cowboys – The Cowboys have a number of backs in Valentine Holmes, Scott Drinkwater, Murray Taulagi and Tom Chester who you’d describe as quick without being considered real flyers, and in Heilum Luki they have arguably the fastest forward in the competition.
Gold Coast Titans – There’s never been any shortage of speed on the Gold Coast, and the Titans have some very quick footballers as well.
How’s this for a relay team – AJ Brimson, Jayden Campbell, Jojo Fifita and Phillip Sami? That doesn’t include the electric Alofiana Khan-Pereira, who’s the quickest on the Coast and a strong contender for fastest player in the game.
Manly Sea Eagles – Manly are blessed with more than their fair share of players with speed to burn. There’s Reuben Garrick, new guy Lehi Hopoate, Jaxson Paulo, and the rapidly improving Tommy Talau.
They’d all take a lot of catching, but good luck running down either Tolutau Koula or Jason Saab if they get into the clear.
These two would surely be in the top half-dozen in the NRL when it comes to raw pace.
Canberra Raiders – The pick of the Canberra fast men looks to be Xavier Savage, who can really churn through the metres at a rapid click.
Not far behind him though, or maybe even just in front, would be Kaeo Weekes, a real speedster, and Seb Kris is no slouch either.
Newcastle Knights – Once upon a time the NRL’s richest man, Kalyn Ponga, was probably rated as a speedster, but a series of injuries have probably put paid to that.
Bradman Best, Tom Jenkins and Fletcher Sharp are quick enough without being rated as real speed machines, but perhaps Bradman is the best of them.
Penrith Panthers – The Panthers have dominated the competition for over four years now and appear to have done so without the need for speed, and that’s even more evident now that both Charlie Staines and Crichton have left the club.
Dylan Edwards, Daine Laurie and Izack Tago are among the quickest of them, without setting the world on fire.
But perhaps the smokey among them is young Jesse McLean, who’s only a couple of games into his career and looks to be a flyer.
Dylan Edwards. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
St George-Illawarra Dragons – Most of the St George backline looks like they’re built for comfort rather than speed, with the one exception being fullback Tyrell Sloan.
He really has some wheels and is both quick off the mark and can go the distance.
NZ Warriors – The Warriors haven’t produced any flyers since the days of Kevin Locke and that’s underlined by the fact that the 28-year-old Dallin Watene-Zelezniak is probably the fastest mover in the club despite the fact that he’s got over 200 games and countless collisions under his belt.
Wests Tigers – Sometimes first grader Charlie Staines, AKA “The Forbes Ferrari”, would be the Tigers’ quickest but don’t underestimate the speed of fullback Jahream Bula, as he’s not far behind Staines.
Cronulla Sharks – Cronulla’s third-generation rookie Kade Dykes showed that he had plenty of toe until injury sidelined him, but the Cronulla speed crown still sits firmly on the head of Ronaldo Mulitalo who really can move it.
Very few would be able to run Ronaldo down.
South Sydney Rabbitohs – Try scoring maestro Alex Johnston could once lay claim to the title of fastest bunny rabbit but age is catching up with them, and I doubt whether he could outrun new kids on the block in Jye Gray or Tyrone Munro.
Melbourne Storm – Xavier Coates holds the mantle of the quickest player in the bleak city, and you’d have to think that he’d be right up there with the quickest in the game.
Ryan Papenhuyzen is also a speedster when he’s fit, as is his heir apparent in Sua Fa’alogo.
The Dolphins – It’s no wonder that Wayne Bennett’s boys are playing out of their phins this year, as they’ve got one of the quickest backlines in the competition.
Jamayne Isaako, Jack Bostock, Herbie Farnworth and Jake Averillo are all speedsters, Trai Fuller can really motor, and are there any faster players in the game than Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, who always looks like he has a couple of gears in reserve?
Let me know what you think. Did I leave anyone out? Which 10 players would make it to the finals of an NRL 100m sprint challenge, and who would you bet on to run first?
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