Sterling, Chariots and Calderwood.

If you are in any way suggesting that you can't recall David Smith at Leeds then the gaps in your memory are much worse than first imagined.

Without checking I would say David Smith was signed from Wakefield in the summer of 1977.

Who is the guy that beat Kev Penny in that charity race ?

Jamal Chisholm.

Hasn't made it to 1st grade yet.

That explains it then - thats the year I was exiled to Newcastle.

At that time they had never heard of the word "rugby" up there, in fact the Evening Chronicle didn't even report on things as far afield as Sunderland

Think of the film "Get Carter" and then believe it for real.

and carl gibson (who also was no slouch)

Iirc didn't Schoey point to the corner when he broke through and still beat Gibbo who was FB for Fev at the time(95 semi).

for the old ones, the late Gary Hemingway was a flyer too!

Before Offiah, there was Steve 'Zip Zip' Ella for Wigan in the early 80s ... He was fast.

Paul Sterling

There are a few interesting entries considering the thread title.

Mick Shaw was electric over the first 20yds

Indeed.

Had the thread title not included the word "Leeds" someone could've simply posted "Offiah" and locked it.

But we're talking Leeds players.

As other people have drifted OT Offiah was the fastes thing I have ever seen on a rugby pitch.

I am shocked not one of you even included Kevin Iro??? ask Chariots how fast he was or look on the tube thingy !!

It shows how fast Offiah was that other players pace is defined by the one time (or three times in ETs' case) that they managed to catch him during his career.

When Offiah got the ball deep in the Wigan half at Wembley in 1994 (95??) I was certain he was going nowhere. Alan Tait had him well covered, and was no slouch....

...how wrong was I???!!!!!

Which reminds me Tait deserves a special mention on this threat - as the player who considered himself the fastest...he must be the only fullback in history that thought it'd be a good idea to show Offiah the outside (I have a recollection of reading/hearing an interview afterwards where Tait said it was entirely intentional as he felt he'd be able to close Offiah down once he'd committed himself

)

Apart from that guy that Aussie who beat him in the pre match sprint challenge down under (was it an Eels player?) - not that it did him much good on the pitch!

Aside from his phenomenal pace Offiah was one hell of a natural attacking runner - For example, I'd say Penny would be close to Offiah in a straight race (possibly faster given that the game in general has got faster) but otherwise he's not worthy of mention in the same breath.

Phil Ford, Mark Calderwood, ET and.. Dave Heron (just ask Stuart Wright..

).

Other guys with gas would be Phil Fox, Tony Currie, Paul Medley, Grothe, Andy Smith was fairly nippy (although that might have been an optical illusion based on the lack of speed we had in the rest of the backline he played in - although he did once hold off Des Drummond over 70 metres in an away game at Leigh). Tait was very quick, he just got his angle completely wrong on Offiah at Wembley.

Lee Oudenryn

for the slowest, you're forgetting John Basnett. I've seen paint dry faster!

Fastest I've seen for Leeds, thats got to be either Sterling, Calderwood or Carl Gibson (Before his leg injury).

i liked Mal Meniga in full flow, even if you caught him he'd just throw you off, awesome player.

Nope. In the game itself Offiah showed Oudenryn a clean pair of heels when it mattered.

Offiah was simply so much faster than anyone else knocking around of his time. There's nobody in the game that has that much more pace than anyone else right now and there wasn't for a while before him.

Schofield said that once, he said Offiah could give Albert 10 yards and beat him on the SL show.