Grimmy wrote:
Agreed, don't know how old they were at this stage, but Preston (hadn't heard of him before today) looks quicker there.
They were similar ages
Offiah came into Rugby league about 87 and Preston a year or so later.
Check out 1990 CC Final to see Preston
Asking which player quicker is subjective - Just like Athletics sprinters suffer from Form, injuries, like different surfaces or affected less/more by those surfaces.
I Always thought Offiah was as quick as anyone out there, but there were plenty who would have fancied their chances.
Mark Forster at Warrington was real quick over 80/90mtrs
Widnes signed Brimah Kebbie who again was real quick
Drummond was past his peak speed wise around this time but in the early 80's he was a Flier.
However
Around 1990 someone said to me this and I has stayed with this opinion since.
Offiah was the Quickest, most elusive winger I've seen.
And that's the difference, others had similar speed, they just couldn't BEAT A MAN, like he could.
He just had that knack of going round someone whether it be on a 60/70 yard run and then taking on a fullback or winger, or, taking the ball 20 yards from the line and beating his opponent with hardly any room to play with.
Some see the second as lightning speed but it was as much elusiveness.
Look at his 10 tries - There's a couple in the first half were he doesn't go 70/80 yards - He goes 15/20 but beats the opposition winger with hardly any room with ease.
He also had the knack of being in the right place, right time and being half a yard quicker in the head to be onto a ball before anyone else.
Couple that with elusiveness and awesome pace and you had one hell of a player.
Mark Preston had Similar Pace - He just wasn't as good at the other 3 IMO
