NRL’s fastest man: Queensland flyers among young guns who can catch Josh Addo-Carr

Josh Addo-Carr is the fastest man ever to sprint on to an NRL field, but two Sunshine State stars are among a host of young guns hot on his heels.

Can a pair of Queensland young guns score some late-season success for the Sunshine State and snatch the NRL’s fastest man title from sprint king Josh Addo-Carr?

While data from the Telstra Tracker shows the Storm speedster leads the NRL again in the sprinting stakes, Brisbane winger Xavier Coates and North Queensland’s Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, aka The Hammer, are hot on his tail.

Bronco Herbie Farnworth, is another right in the mix.

Meanwhile, whenever Matt Shirvington watches Jason Saab move, he sees glimpses of that greatest fella to ever put one foot in front of another.

“Just the way he covers ground,” Shirvo says of the young Manly tearaway, still only 20.

“Same with those long levers of his.

“If ever you’re going to compare Saab with someone in the sprint world, it has to be Usain Bolt.”

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So as for becoming rugby league’s fastest man?

“Oh, absolutely he could,” the Olympic sprint great continues.

“Given Saab’s age, his body is still growing. And that means he is definitely going to find more speed.”

Set to face Canberra Raiders in Friday Night Football, Saab has at least three more weeks – and potentially as many as seven – to do what has long been thought impossible.

Jason Saab has been likened to Usain Bolt. Picture: NRL Photos

Put simply, steal the NRL’s fastest man tag from Josh Addo-Carr.

Currently, the Melbourne flyer boasts the highest Telstra Tracker speed of any player this season, a scorching 38.1 km/hr set against Brisbane in Round 4.

Elsewhere, Addo-Carr also boasts the fastest maximum velocity of any player since recording fast started – with a 2019 score of 38.5km/hr.

Saab, meanwhile, sits less than a blink behind, with a top speed this year of 38km.

A mark which sees the manly No.2 headline a pack of rising stars looking to dethrone the Foxx – among them Brisbane winger Xavier Coates, Warriors fullback Reece Walsh and Newcastle’s UK recruit Dom Young.

Other players in contention include Broncos tearaway Herbie Farnworth and North Queensland’s Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, aka The Hammer.

Out Penrith way, winger Charlie Staines is also considered a genuine chance for the tag of fastest man, despite having not blown out the Telstra Tracker this year, as is Storm No.1 Ryan Papenhuyzen.

Melbourne Storm flyer Josh Addo-Carr is the fastest NRL player ever recorded. Picture: NRL Photos

Right now, however, the No.1 contender is Saab.

Yet for Manly fans, the story doesn’t end there.

With Shirvington suggesting the Sea Eagles recent surge into fifth is due, in no small part, to the increased speed of not only the Manly No.2, but so many others under new sprint coach Rubin Ruzicka.

Officially, Ruzicka carries the title of Manly athletic development and rehabilitation coach.

Yet to Shirvo, this former beach sprinter, a fella who often trains his players while barefoot, is the “unsung hero” of a Manly side suddenly pushing to become the competition’s new title smokey.

Having previously worked at Manly under Geoff Toovey, Ruzicka then switched to the Roosters before returning to Narrabeen this year under Des Hasler.

Back in June, the speed guru was secretly called into NSW Origin camp prior to the series opener, helping Manly No.1 Tom Trbojevic prepare for what would eventually be a Man of the Match effort.

Charlie Staines is yet to fully show off his undeniable speed. Picture: Getty Images

Xavier Coates shows most of the rest of the NRL a clean pair of heels. Picture: Alix Sweeney

Yet Shirvington says it is Ruzicka’s ongoing work right across the Sea Eagles squad that is now starting to pay off for a side that has won four of its past five.

“You look at Manly now, they have super fast squad,” Shirvington says.

“So I have to take my hat off to Rubin.

“He’s not only got a newbie Jason Saab running like he is, but Reuben Garrick is moving better than ever while Moses Suli also looks to be reaching his highest speeds too.

“Then, of course, you’ve got Tommy Turbo.

“And I’ve seen with my own eyes how much they have worked on him mechanically to make sure he avoided getting those hamstring injuries again.

“Not only rehabilitating him at the start of the year, but then working to make him ‘bullet proof’ when it comes to reaching top speed.”

Aussie sprint king Matt Shirvington has likened Manly’s Jason Saab to the world’s fastest man Usain Bolt. Picture: Getty Images

Elsewhere, the Sea Eagles also boast rising star Tolutau Koula, who holds the 100m GPS record at 10.58 seconds.

“So technically, Manly have a great (sprint) coach,” Shirvington says. “Then on top of that, they’ve got all these guys in the squad who you can tell are now feeding off one other.”

So as for how Saab finds those times required to finish the Foxx?

“It’s a good question,” Shirvington says.

“Apart from finding more speed as his body grows, I also think that – like most big men – he would also benefit massively from some extra acceleration work off the mark.

“Because working on your starting acceleration, it also gives you the ability to bump up your top speed.

“(Laughs) Of course, another looping pass from Daly Cherry Evans to put him in space wouldn’t hurt, either.”

Originally published as NRL’s fastest man: Queensland flyers among young guns who can catch Josh Addo-Carr