NRL fittest, fastest, strongest 2021: Rugby league’s super men and their gym feats

These are NRL clubs’ most closely guarded secrets — the superhuman feats players put out in the gym and on the training paddock. SEE THEM HERE.

Meet rugby league’s ironmen. The physical freaks who are churning out amazing feats both on the field and in the weight rooms.

As part of a special part series, News Corp Australia takes you behind the locked doors of NRL gyms to reveal the true pace and power of rugby league’s incredible athletes.

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There’s towering Manly winger Jason Saab, who has literally burst onto the scene as one of the NRL’s fastest men. Or North Queensland’s Dragons-bound forward Francis Molo, who’s producing efforts in the gym the even Jason Taumalolo can’t match.

Parramatta didn’t only snare the early season buy of the year in Isaiah Papali’i, they also picked up a power lifting champion, which helps explain how he was able to steamroll Josh Papali’i in the Eels’ round-six win over Canberra.

The NRL's fittest, fastest and strongest players of 2021.

COWBOYS

Fittest: Reuben Cotter, Reece Robson and Tom Gilbert

Fastest: Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow

Strongest: Francis Molo, Corey Jensen and Connelly Lemuelu

Telstra Tracker top speed: Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 35.5km/h (Round 4 v Sharks)

Telstra Tracker total distance covered: Ben Hampton 9.235km (Round 5 v Tigers)

While most people fear the unknown, the Cowboys are learning to embrace it.

The club is no closer to knowing just how fast Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow can go, but one thing they are certain of is it will only get faster.

While he might be grounded at the moment following ankle surgery, the fleet-footed teen is the quickest at the Cowboys. He has been clocked at a top speed of 37km/h during last year’s Nines, but the club’s performance staff are certain he has yet to hit top speed.

The Hammer only goes as fast as he needs to.

Rookie backrower Ben Condon has seen it first hand, giving up after 10 metres of trying to keep up with the winger after a line break against the Tigers earlier this season. “I was in sixth gear and he was only in second. That is the Hammer for you,” Condon said.

North Queensland gym freaks Francis Molo and Corey Jensen. Picture: Evan Morgan

Tabuai-Fidow has even grown muscle mass in the off-season as coach Todd Payten planned to bring him closer to the ball in the centres. But the extra weight hasn’t slowed him down, in fact the club believes it will only make him faster.

“He is still quick, it hasn’t been significant enough (weight gain) to affect his speed,” NRL strength and conditioning coach Mark Henry said.

“We are doing a lot of high speed work, his acceleration is only going to get better, get faster. A lot of the strength work – muscle mass building – it as about making them stronger, and a side effect will be that his speed naturally increases.”

But when it comes to fitness over distance, there is no going past Cowboys utility player Reuben Cotter.

The Sarina junior has long been considered the best pound-for-pound at the club and he proved it in the off-season smashing the club’s 1.2km time trial record with a run of four minutes, 32 seconds.

Reuben Cotter shows off a little bit of his rig. Picture: Alix Sweeney

Cotter, who sports the best rig at the Cowboys, refuses to delve too deep into his fitness regimen but believes the heat factor in North Queensland could be playing its part.

“It is pretty hot up here so it is a good chance to sweat everything out,” Cotter said. “There are a few of the boys at the club who have been looking pretty good this off-season.”

When it comes to inside the gym, it is front row duo Francis Molo and Corey Jensen who can’t be unseated.

Molo, who inked a three-year deal at the Dragons for next season, is leading the club on the bench press this season, racking up a top of 160kg in the off-season. Jensen leads the way in the squats having hit a personal best of 210kg in the gym.

Jensen said his extra efforts in the off-season came through a genuine love of pumping iron, but as for being the strongest in the club, he had other ideas.

“I just enjoy it, I enjoy every side of training. I like being in the gym, I like doing the cardio work and because I enjoy it, in the off-season I really keep on top of my work,” he said.

“I like keeping fit and being healthy. It is another avenue for me to get away, take a bit of stress away from other things. It also helps when it comes to footy.

“I don’t think I am the strongest at all, I think there are other boys who can lift more than me. Frank can, Hessy when he wants to and Jase when he wants to. They just lift as much as they need to.”

Storm star Josh Addo-Carr flexes. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

STORM

Fittest: Harry Grant

Fastest: Josh Addo-Carr

Strongest: Nelson Asofa-Solomona

Telstra Tracker top speed: Josh Addo-Carr 38.1km/h (Round 4 v Broncos)

Telstra Tracker total distance covered: Cameron Munster 9.646km (Round 7 v Warriors)

Still in 2021, no one can catch the Foxx.

Or, as Phil Gould likes to label Storm flyer Josh Addo-Carr, the “world’s fastest man”.

With a maximum velocity of 38.1km/h in Round 3, Addo-Carr raised the bar for this season’s top speed and came close to the all-time Telstra Tracker mark (38.5km/h) he set in 2019.

In the season to date, he holds the benchmark, just ahead of Manly’s Jason Saab (38km/h).

Although, Storm insiders believe fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen just may have Addo-Carr covered over 40m.

The Fox would get him after that if it were a 100m race, but Papenhuyzen’s explosive speed off the mark is a sight to behold.

The gym rats at the Storm are Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Jesse Bromwich and Dale Finucane, and insiders say it is very difficult to split the three for pure power and strength.

But Asofa-Solomona is said to just get the nod.

As for fitness, hooker Harry Grant wins that title at Melbourne following the retirement of future immortal Cameron Smith.

Jack Hetherington is the Bulldogs’ surprise fastest player on the field in 2021. Picture: Scott Davis/NRL Photos

Canterbury Bulldogs flyer Nick Meaney. Picture: Bulldogs Media

BULLDOGS

Fittest: Nick Meaney, 7min 30sec for 2km time trial

Fastest: Nick Meaney

Strongest: Aaron Schoupp (Squat 260kg), Jayden Okunbor (Bench 175kg), Dylan Napa (Deadlift 285kg)

Telstra Tracker top speed: Jack Hetherington 36.1km/h (Round 5 v Storm)

Telstra Tracker total distance covered: Kyle Flanagan 9.762km (Round 7 v Sharks)

Canterbury speedster Nick Meaney might have competition for the fastest crown from the unlikeliest of sources in aggressive forward Jack Hetherington. The Telstra Tracker has revealed Hetherington cracked the fastest ‘in-game’ time for Canterbury during round five’s loss to Melbourne, where he was clocked doing 36.1km/hour.

But what makes Meaney, who is consistently one of Canterbury’s fastest, unique is his ability to maintain his aerobic levels at high speed.

For example, Meaney regularly tops the club’s own GPS scores, along with halfback Kyle Flanagan and outside back Dallin Watene-Zelezniak in games, covering an average of 9.5km and around 900m in high speed running each game. According to Bulldogs’ head of performance Dan Ferris, this “is elite status in the NRL”.

Rising forward Aaron Schoupp, 19, is a young kid with huge potential and is already imposing his dominance in the gym delivering the heaviest squat at 260 kilograms. While it might not be Marty Taupau status, seasoned forward Dylan Napa is leader of the pack in the deadlift with a personal best of 285 kilograms.

Schoupp needed guidance from the club’s strength coach Luke Portese on technique but once that was achieved his lower limb strength has improved dramatically. This converts to improve post contact meters and tackle busts in games.

Jayden Okunbor’s ACL injury meant Ferris put a focus to develop the winger’s overall upper body strength in the initial rehab phase. Ferris said “Okunbor is a large human with a high percentage of fast twitch fibres, this converts to high levels of maximum strength”.

“Once Okunbor’s lower body catches up from his surgery Jayden will be able to transfer this to the field.”

Parramatta power player Isaiah Papali'i. Picture: Gregg Porteous/NRL Photos

EELS

Fittest: Clint Gutherson

Fastest: Waqa Blake

Strongest: Isaiah Papali’i (hang power clean 3x140kg, 2x150kg)

Telstra Tracker top speed: Dylan Brown 35.7km/h (Round 1 v Broncos)

Telstra Tracker total distance covered: Clinton Gutherson 10.285km (Round 3 v Sharks)

Five-eighth Dylan Brown received a rude shock during his first ever Eels pre-season camp and learned the hardest of lessons, that skipper Clint Gutherson is untouchable as the club’s, if not the NRL’s, fittest player.

“I remember my first camp in Armidale, I thought I was doing quite well, thought I’d test myself and keep up with Gutho … I ended up fainting,” Brown said.

“We ran three 2km time trials back to back, the first one I was pretty close to him … on the last one I thought I’d give it a good crack, we got to the last few hills and as soon as I got to the top of the hill my legs stopped working.

The Eels’ fastest and fittest pairing — Dylan Brown and Clint Gutherson. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“I couldn’t move. My head was spinning, all the boys were throwing water at me because I couldn’t talk back to them.”

Brown might not have the motor to match his captain just yet, but the young playmaker is the quickest Eel on the field in 2021. Despite boasting a backline with noted speedsters like Blake Ferguson, Maika Sivo and Waqa Blake, it’s the Parramatta No.6 who clocked the fastest time. It came in Round 1 at Suncorp against the Broncos, where Brown clocked 35.7km/h.

Powerhouse forward Isaiah Papali’i has plenty of brute force to contend with in a Parramatta pack that boasts the likes of Junior Paulo and Reagan Campbell Gillard, but the backrower is a stand-alone when it comes to pound for pound strength.

One of the buys of the season, Papali’i is a dual gold medallist in Olympic lifting. At just 15, Papali’i won two gold medals at the Oceana Power Lifting Championships in New Caledonia for a 105kg snatch and 125kg clean and jerk.

“I won’t beat anyone in a bench press or squat but in the power cleans and snatches I go OK. I got some records in the championships when I was a kid but I think they have been beaten now,” Papali’i said.

“I started doing crossfit when I was younger, Olympic lifting is part of cross fit and I was doing well, that I was a little bit strong … and it’s transitioned really well into footy.”

Pound for pound, Tom Starling is Canberra’s strongest. Picture: Mark Nolan/Getty Images

RAIDERS

Fittest: Tom Starling

Fastest: Bailey Simonsson, Seb Kris

Strongest: Kai O’Donnell, Hudson Young

Telstra Tracker top speed: Sebastian Kris 35.3km/h (Round 2 v Sharks)

Telstra Tracker total distance covered: Josh Hodgson 9.112km (Round 4 v Titans)

Rising backrowers Hudson Young and Kai O’Donnell aren’t just the strongest players at the Raiders, they’re among the strongest George Williams has seen in his career.

Given the size of some of the forwards in England it’s a fair wrap from the Wigan man.

“They’re gym addicts, if I’m honest,” Williams said.

“They go a bit too much for my liking, they go on every single off day. Once they get a bit older they’ll realise you need a bit of a rest sometimes. But their work ethic, you can’t deny it. Luke Thompson is the same, he’s the strongest in the England team, so there’s the secret.

“They’re probably the strongest I’ve seen, especially pound for pound because they’re both only about 95-100kg.”

“Little Tommy Starling is good pound for pound as well. He’s only about 80kg, he does over double his weight on some stuff.”

Starling is known to squat and deadlift around 200kg for multiple reps and is also one of the fittest at the club, with rookie Englishman Harry Rushton a dark horse when it comes to long distance running.

Manly flyer Jason Saab reaches a season-high speed of 38km/h on his way to score a sensational try against the Warriors. Picture: Gregg Porteous/NRL Photos

SEA EAGLES

Fittest: Daly Cherry-Evans

Fastest: Jason Saab

Strongest: Martin Taupau, Toafofoa Sipley

Telstra Tracker top speed: Jason Saab 38km/h (Round 5 v Warriors)

Telstra Tracker total distance covered: Reuben Garrick 9.591km (Round 2 v Rabbitohs)

Explosive prop Martin Taupau’s exploits in the gym have become legendary - he’s a literal adherent to the ‘‘if the bar ‘ain't bending, you’re pretending’ school of weightlifting and Lachlan Croker is the club’s best pound for pound.

Hulking prop Toafofoa Sipley has run Taupau close on the steel once or twice. When he first arrived at the club he could deadlift 300kg but struggled to crack first grade — from 2018 to 2020 he played just 14 NRL matches through a combination of form and injury.

There’s a difference between a workout warrior and a footballer and Sipley has worked hard to transform himself into the latter, even if it means a few less kilos on the bar.

After beginning the season in NSW Cup, Sipley has cracked first grade in recent weeks and has played some of the best football of his NRL career.

“He’s a real leader, he’s worked on his conditioning and his physical state and he’s looking really strong,” said Sea Eagles NSW Cup coach Matt Ballin.

“He’s playing more minutes than he used to and he’s defending really well.

“He’s working hard in defence and really doing little things like working hard for his teammates or pushing into space.

“He really deserves the success he’s been having and I hope it keeps going. Him and Marty are both very strong human beings, big bodies, and that’s the way current front rowers are going.”

Tom Trbojevic has long been the fastest Sea Eagle but new recruit Jason Saab has him beat according to the Telstra Tracker - the towering winger was clocked at 38k/h in the win over the Warriors earlier this season, with only Melbourne’s Josh Addo-Carr hitting a faster speed so far this year.

James Tedesco shows off his body at a swim at Clovelly. Picture: Brett Costello

ROOSTERS

Fittest: James Tedesco

Fastest: James Tedesco

Strongest: James Tedesco

Telstra Tracker top speed: Brett Morris 33.9kmh (Round 1 v Sea Eagles)

Telstra Tracker total distance covered: Sam Walker 10.066km (Round 4 v Warriors)

At 34, the Morris twins are still standouts in the gym at Bondi - and presumably boast plenty of dad strength as well - but superstar fullback James Tedesco has a clean sweep across the board when it comes to being the fittest, fastest and strongest.

“It’s probably Teddy. He’s so strong, he doesn’t look it but he is,” said Joseph Manu.

“There might be a few forwards that are as strong but he’s quickest and fittest as well, I reckon Teddy.”

It shouldn’t be a shock to see Tedesco feature in all three categories, with fullback arguably becoming the most physically demanding position in the modern game.

In terms of the aerobic fitness required to cover the entire field in defence, the acceleration and speed necessary to make an impact in attack and the durability to withstand the impact of 20 or more carries per game,

But surprisingly, Tedesco isn’t close to the club’s leader in most ground covered in a match this year - that honour goes to rookie halfback Sam Walker.

Walker loves playing both sides of the field more than most playmakers but in his NRL debut against the Warriors in Round 4 he ran a stunning 10,066 metres, the third most of any player in a match this year.

Dylan Edwards is the fittest player at the Panthers. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

PANTHERS

Fittest: Dylan Edwards

Fastest: Charlie Staines

Strongest: Spencer Leniu (200kg Deep Squat, with Brian To’o a close second), Scott Sorensen (Bench Press 160kg), Viliame Kikau (Power Clean 140kg).

Telstra Tracker top speed: Charlie Staines 34.6kmh (Round 3 v Storm)

Telstra Tracker total distance covered: Nathan Cleary 9.871km (Round 7 v Knights)

Minor hamstring issues left the Forbes Ferrari, Charlie Staines, garaged in the pre-season and the lightning quick back didn’t actually perform any speed tests.

But Panthers head of performance Hayden Knowles didn’t hesitate to nominate Staines as the club’s quickest player.

“He finished our last season with hamstring issues, so we didn’t bother pushing any actual test,” Knowles said.

“But I just know it doesn’t matter what speed contest I might throw at him, he will win it.

In the same game Staines hit maximum velocity, the boom back even beat Storm’s Josh Addo-Carr, the game’s fastest player, in a contest for the ball.

“We played Melbourne and he had to beat Josh Addo-Carr to a ball and he beat him,” Knowles recalls.

“He only ever runs as fast as he needs to … but if it’s a contest, he wins it.”

Young Panthers prop Spencer Leniu is a beast. Picture: Scott Davis/NRL Photos

Dylan Edwards is a name you might not hear in conversation about the game’s best fullbacks, given the embarrassment of riches in that position, but when it comes to the fitness stakes the 25-year-old is in a class of his own.

“Dylan just has this mental approach that no matter what fitness test we put on, he won’t let anyone beat him. He’s like Clint Gutherson, if we do a 1.2km win, a yo-yo test, it doesn’t matter what test really, he’ll win it,” Knowles said.

“He’s so fit and competitive. It shows in how he plays, his involvements are very high. To be a good fullback you need to be the fittest in your team.”

In the spine, Knowles believes fitness is a prerequisite to putting the no.7 “on your back.”

While Edwards dominates the fitness testing, Cleary isn’t far behind. Cleary’s fitness is helping to drive the young halfback’s clutch plays.

“If you want to be the best halfback in the league or even just be a halfback at NRL level, you need to be the fittest, or closest too, in your team,” Knowles said.

“Nathan goes close to it. He and Dylan [Edwards] do the most work in any game. The way Nathan plays he has to be fit. As a half, you need to fit just so you can think clearly and communicate, Nathan is top shelf.”

Originally published as NRL fittest, fastest, strongest 2021: Rugby league’s super men and their gym feats