There are several points to consider in my opinion:
1) who gives damn how fast a player is over 100m, as rarely does a player actually run 100m in one bolt. Ilias easily caught Saab coming from behind, before Saab was in full flight. The greatest sprinter of our time, Usain Bolt never won a start over the first 20m, however, was untouchable thereafter.
2) Roger Fabri keeps boasting how he’s lowered times over 100m, however, what about 10m and 20m, as 100m is basically irrelevant
3) Phil Blake was probably the quickest I have ever seen over 10m and 20m, however, not over 100m. Dale Shearer and Michael O’Connor were the same, and that’s how they left defenders in their wake. Slater also and Fittler, the latter more so for his footwork and ability to maintain high speed over a short space.
4) I think Koula, Garrick, Brooks and Bullemor are our fastest over 10 to 20m and maybe also Turbo, and that’s what creates the breaks, and then it’s great to have other players at full flight who can finish it off. DCE isn’t too bad either over 10m.
5) The game is about metres gained, you have 6 tackles and ideally you want the team to advance at least 50m in five tackles and then kick the crap out of the ball so the opposition have to work it out from within 10m of their try line, and hopefully their last play is somewhere near the halfway line…. And so we go again! Hoping for a mistake.
The guys who tend to make the 10 metres are those who are the biggest or the fastest over 10m and I think, barring injuries, we have a nice mix.
Post contact metres is a huge advantage, and that’s where players like Haumole Olakau'atu and potentially Paeseka and Lodge come in to the equation, when they can march another 3 or 4m after initial contact.
Always an interesting discussion on ST and just my opinion.