- The top 20 fastest NRL players have been revealed
- Josh Addo-Carr did not win the top prize
- A Cronulla Sharks hero was the fastest player
The fastest man in the NRL for 2023 has been revealed. And it’s not Josh Addo-Carr.
The Canterbury Bulldogs speedster has haunted countless defenses over the years with his incredible speed, earning a reputation as one of the best wingers in the game.
Yet the Kangaroos star only makes the top five in new data revealed by the Telstra Tracker via News Corp.
In fact, Sharks star Ronaldo Mulitalo takes the top prize, reaching a speed of 37.188 km/h this season.
He beat Manly’s Jason Saab by just 0.072 km/h, while Parra’s Maika Sivo took the final podium spot with a speed of 36.864 km/h.
Ronaldo Mulitalo has been named the fastest NRL player of 2023
He has beaten Canterbury Bulldogs speedster Josh Addo-Carr
England rugby league star Dominic Young has moved Addo-Carr into fourth place, with his speed of 36.828 km/h surpassing the Flying Foxx’s speed of 36.756 km/h.
Dolphins hero Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow is sixth, Dally M winner Kalyn Ponga is 10th, while Broncos fullback Reece Walsh completes the top 20 with a speed of 35.46 km/h.
For context, Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt recorded a top speed of 44.72 km/h when he set the world record for the 100 meters in Berlin in 2009.
If Mulitalo, who plays for New Zealand, were to maintain his top speed over that same distance, he would clock 9.68 seconds.
New Zealand coach Michael Maguire said: “I’m not totally surprised by that figure.
“His speed is a reflection of his training ethic.
“He’s a real stunner and he was born with nifty genetics that give him the ability to run fast.
Jason Saab was the second fastest player this year, with a speed of over 37 km/h
Dominic Young made the top five prior to his move to the Sydney Roosters
“It’s one thing to run fast, but you have to use it and keep using it in an NRL game and Ronaldo does that.
‘Ronnie’ is athletic, but he is also a competitor. He just loves to win, whether it’s a three-on-three in training or a real NRL match, he loves to compete and that makes him the player he is.
‘Ronnie has a lot of energy. He’s a character, that’s why the boys like to play with him, but he flips the switch when he knows it’s time to get going.
“Unfortunately he didn’t qualify for Queensland for State of Origin, but I’m glad he’s found his way into the New Zealand system.
“He has a lot of buy-in as a player and throws himself into everything he does.”
The NRL’s two fastest stars, Mulitalo and Saab, are both faster than the fastest player in the Premier League, beating Manchester City star Kyle Walker’s top speed of 37.31km/h.