Back Three

[Blackpool_Pie]

Mark preston for me……. He seemed to glide when he ran…… marshy never seems that fast but hes deceiving …brett dallas could shift a bit as well….. trying to think of a fullback as fast as field in any league ever atm……. Maybe brett mullins the old canberra fullback

Carney has to be up there too. Always seemed to score in the big games

[moto748]

I always think little blokes like Marshall *look* faster than big guys like Offiah.

[endoman]

For a quick full back, although he didn't always play there, Joe Lydon must be worth a mention.

[medlocke]

Mark preston for me……. He seemed to glide when he ran…… marshy never seems that fast but hes deceiving …brett dallas could shift a bit as well….. trying to think of a fullback as fast as field in any league ever atm……. Maybe brett mullins the old canberra fullback

Lee Oudenryn

[DaveO]

Ah yes, Mark Preston. He was very quick. Marshall’s Dad was on the other wing until injury ended his career (Dave Marshall?). I remember being gutted when it did because before Offiah arrived we had two absolute speedsters on the wings. Marshall Snr was also quick.

What we didn’t have back then was a full back as fast as Field. Instead we had the great Steve Hampson. Back then the full back roll was different and he had it nailed to a tee. So no we have never had as fast a back three as the current team has but it wasn’t always required. These days we are very fortunate to be watching what we have got as they fit the modern game exactly and with a player drain to the NRL we are lucky to have these three playing for us.

[pedro]

Mark preston for me……. He seemed to glide when he ran…… marshy never seems that fast but hes deceiving …brett dallas could shift a bit as well….. trying to think of a fullback as fast as field in any league ever atm……. Maybe brett mullins the old canberra fullback

Lee Oudenryn

offiah walked past him in the game, more than once, the race was so rigged

[morley pie eater]

Ah yes, Mark Preston. He was very quick. Marshall’s Dad was on the other wing until injury ended his career (Dave Marshall?). I remember being gutted when it did because before Offiah arrived we had two absolute speedsters on the wings. Marshall Snr was also quick.

What we didn’t have back then was a full back as fast as Field. Instead we had the great Steve Hampson. Back then the full back roll was different and he had it nailed to a tee. So no we have never had as fast a back three as the current team has but it wasn’t always required. These days we are very fortunate to be watching what we have got as they fit the modern game exactly and with a player drain to the NRL we are lucky to have these three playing for us.

You're right about Hampo - the phrase I'll always associate with him is "shelling peys"!!! Whenever the opposition put a high kick up, regardless of the chasers we knew it was Hampson's. He also didn't take prisoners if they made a break and he was one-on-one, whether it was a winger or a prop.

Back to speedsters: it's also elusiveness - a sidestep or swerve - that makes speed effective. Robinson had his amazing acceleration over the first 10 yards or so. Offiah could watch a chaser and always had enough speed to just keep out of range. Billy B had strength and an amazing hip swerve which wasn't a sidestep, but left most opponents grasping thin air. Hanley had his sideways run while watching his chasers.

Btw, didn't Offiah replace Dave Myers? He was no slouch, but Gene Miles would make any winger look good. (Got a mention of an Aussie in there just for Meds )

[Wintergreen]

Technically Gary Henley-Smith was the fastest.

I can't remember a full back faster than Field though.

[moto748]

Technically Gary Henley-Smith was the fastest.

I can't remember a full back faster than Field though.

French is getting there, though!

[HDS]

Don't know if he was faster then Jai Feld but Sam Tomkins was a flyer in his first stint at Wigan, before injuries slowed him down.