Can anyone remember Offiah having a race against another player (possibly an Australian) at Central Park?

Pretty sure the other player beat him too but does anyone remember the name of the player?

Lee oulderyn something like that, offiah slipped at the start and was in Sydney, offiah skinned him in the game though, it’s on YouTube somewhere

By far the fastest winger, I have ever seen in all the time I have supported the game.

Never understood why Wigan never signed him ahead of Widnes after seeing him playing for Rosslyn Park in the Rugby Union "Middlesex Sevens" on television. I said to my Wife that he would be a sensation in Rugby League and Coach Doug Laughton evidently said the same as he was signed by Widnes within a week or so.

As a result of not signing him straight away, the club ended up paying £100,000 in a transfer fee to Widnes to secure him playing for Wigan.

The try he scored against Leeds in the 1994 Challenge Cup Final when he collected the ball near in his own twenty meter area, raced downfield and then turned full back Alan Tait inside out will live forever in my memory.

Even though he is from a Union background and now lives back in the London area, he is still described on television as a Rugby League player.

I’ll think you’ll find we had to pay around £440k for him

I seemed to remember a french player around the time of Offiah as well who was supposed to be faster. Claude Servant I think but can’t remember who he played for. Anyone?

Claude Sirvent played for Saint Gaudens, I remember him playing for France a few times but thats about it, he didn't appear to be anything special but i can only go off what i saw of him.

Dwain Chambers?

I think Dallas beat Oudenryn in a race too, in the 90s. Darren Albert was probably quicker than Dallas though after Dallas' hamstring injuries.

Josh Ado-Carr is ridiculously quick, can't think of anyone in SL faster than him currently.

There was a lot of money staked on Lee Oudenryan that night to win the race. Particularly by the touring party.

Thats stretching it a bit claiming he was an rl player

You are indeed correct!

Memory is not what it use to be, but it may happen to yourself one day!

It’s already happening

Sorry to hear that.

The £100,000 was in fact for Joe Lydon

We paid £540,000 for two players from Widnes who should have cost us nothing in transfer fees!

Anyone know Offiah’s 100 metre times?
I actually think there are wingers now that are as fast as him. In his day their was only a small amount of players with pace but now they are in abundance. Tom Johnstone was Yorkshire junior sprint champion and is good over the full distance. I bet Bevan French will be another that even though they don’t stand out like Offiah it’s because their are loads that are quick over the 100.

I remember there being a young lad at Widnes who was rapid, remember a match where he covered Dallas for pace pretty handily. Can’t for the life of me think of his name, couldn’t of had much of a career.

Quote ="CobraCraig"I remember there being a young lad at Widnes who was rapid, remember a match where he covered Dallas for pace pretty handily. Can’t for the life of me think of his name, couldn’t of had much of a career.'" Maybe Nicky Royle mate? He was rapid https://twitter.com/WidnesRL/status/1248173921691631616

Quote ="CobraCraig"I remember there being a young lad at Widnes who was rapid, remember a match where he covered Dallas for pace pretty handily. Can’t for the life of me think of his name, couldn’t of had much of a career.'" Maybe Nicky Royle mate? He was rapid https://twitter.com/WidnesRL/status/1248173921691631616

Royle went on to England RU 7s he was at Widnes early 2000s

Dads caught Royle, Dallas, Albert and Sampson were all fast for the era, still think offiah was the fastest

Offiah was at his quickest in his Widnes days.

You'd expect him to have slightly more pace in his younger days though.

Offiah was fast but not as fast as he is made out to be. A lot of the tries he scored came from his abilty to swerve and run on an arc whilst sprinting. When Offiah was tight to the touch line with no room to run on an arc, he was run down a few times, once by Kevin Iro.

He was injured at the time of Iro catching him. there's no way Iro would be within 10 yards of him in a foot race. I don't remember anyone catching him in a straight race. I've seen people come across the field and tackle him, but they had a head start distance wise.

Mark preston was close to him for pace.

If only he had bionic implants....

Offiah was fast enough 99% of the time. Remember Dave Jones catching him at Wakefield as others have, not convinced Kevin Iro could though, but there are 100’s of others who haven’t got to him. I am told Billy was a bit like that, never pulled away from chasing players because he didn’t need to but always did enough to get over the line.

Agreed, nobody caught him from behind if he was fully fit. I remember Kevin Iro and Andy Mason running him down, but that was later in his career when he had started to fade, injuries and weight gain slowed him right down.