Always remember watching this guy. His name sounded like O'Fire which just made him more epic. He was seriously talented. Up there with the top sportsmen of all time. Thanks for sharing.
I'm not a rugby fan, much more a football fan. However, with a wife from Leeds, a Rhinos nut, I was at 3 of the games featured.Widnes, Wigan, London Bronco's. He was like an express train. Absolutely brilliant.
Class act, Icon and legend! In this vid he was scoring in cup finals and world club challenges against aussie clubs, aussie and kiwi at international level, such a great player.
When he moved to Rugby Union in his late 30's (Wasps) his scoring rate was as impressive as any winger before, during or after! (13 tries in 22 games). This was when he was on the verge of retirement, not as quick as he was 10 years before and not receiving the ball as much as would have done in League too.
I was stood between the halfway and twenty five in the semi final when Wigan beat us 71 to 10 at Bolton. I have never seen a player with a longer stride than him. He could pull away from fast players in two strides. If i was picking a team of all the great players I have seen he would be in it.
He was captain of my rugby team at school. I was number 8 due to my size (6 foot 3 at 15) and I'd just bulldoze everyone then yell "Get the ball to Offiah" :D
You must've been at Woolverstone Hall then? Martin is a good friend of mine but a few years older. We played your school and got arse kicked all over the place !! 😂😂
Strangely I didn't thin Martin was technically gifted as a player, but he was an incredible athlete and 100% professional which put him above pretty much everybody. I remember playing against him when he played for Rosslyn Park and he put the turbo on and left me in his dust!
He' d be a very good winger but have fewer tries as defences are far better and he wouldn't be in teams that were NOT massively dominant, That Wigan side were fully professional and had internationals from 1-13 and Widnes were no luches before that.
@Firsthgyhgyhuy Lastujhujhuj Yeah whatever, instead of a child like retort make a case as to why you disagree. Everything I've said is valid, no way would he have the same number of tries and be scoring as he did. The huge differences in teams was massive, Wigan particularly. And yes defences are far better, less space for him though clearly at his peak with good ball out wide he'd still run a load in in a decent side but nowhere near what he did in his era. But crack on why you disagree!
@@ynotnilknarf39 it depends if you had a playstyle or tactics which pulled the defense out of position, giving you an overlap or finding a gap, then he possibly could.
@@ynotnilknarf39 he wouldn’t be just a very good winger, he’d be the best in the world. He was a once in a lifetime talent . Most likely he’d be playing for one of the best teams in the world and would capitalise fully on the advantage that would afford him.
@@derekdevaney2242 Best in the world right now, not a chance! He played in an era where his outright pace served him very well, and as I said, he played in a team that ultimately was far and away superior to every team on the planet by definition of them being fully professional, only the Australian teams were fully pro at that time period. The balance between teams now means no winger is scoring 50/60 tries a season, not even the very best Australian wingers. That's not to say Offiah wasn't one of the greats, he played what was in front of him, in the teams he did and took full advantage of that. He's not the best winger ever, Deffo top 10 but not just based on tries scored. IMHO he'd get a lot of tries but the game is so vastly different to 30-35 years ago and his main asset was offence, his defence was more than below par.
Incredible! My only question: who was better Martin Offiah or Jason Robinson? Totally different styles I know, and each better in different circumstances. But both wingers, so who do you pick in your team, if you can only have one?
Chariots! they called him because he was so fast. Rumour was he beat Linford Christie in a 100m dash and could have seriously challenged for an Olympic medal in sprinting 100/200m Carl Lewis but was more interested in League
In my more critical moments I rue that he didn't have a killer weapon, like a discombobulating sidestep. Let's face it, sometimes he did look a bit wobbly when changing his running lines. But then you have to accept that his weapon simply was staring down an opponent, and indicating "I'm faster than you are, so I'm going to run past you, and there's nothing you can do about it!". I'm also note there a some very effective hand-offs. None that smashed people to the floor, but enough so that it created the space to allow him to burn his would-be tacklers. And burn them he did.
Always remember watching this guy. His name sounded like O'Fire which just made him more epic. He was seriously talented. Up there with the top sportsmen of all time.
Thanks for sharing.
The flyer o’fire, loved watching this guy play
That's why he was nicknamed 'Chariots'!
Dude was electric
Thanks for the memories 😅
I'm not a rugby fan, much more a football fan. However, with a wife from Leeds, a Rhinos nut, I was at 3 of the games featured.Widnes, Wigan, London Bronco's. He was like an express train. Absolutely brilliant.
Class act, Icon and legend! In this vid he was scoring in cup finals and world club challenges against aussie clubs, aussie and kiwi at international level, such a great player.
When he moved to Rugby Union in his late 30's (Wasps) his scoring rate was as impressive as any winger before, during or after! (13 tries in 22 games). This was when he was on the verge of retirement, not as quick as he was 10 years before and not receiving the ball as much as would have done in League too.
Absolute legend.
I was stood between the halfway and twenty five in the semi final when Wigan beat us 71 to 10 at Bolton. I have never seen a player with a longer stride than him. He could pull away from fast players in two strides. If i was picking a team of all the great players I have seen he would be in it.
He glided across the mud bowls of the day, brilliant
Iconic. On knees. Hands on face. No wonder Wembley have a bronze of him...
Him and Ellery Hanley were my to favourite players growing up
Tell me about it or them. Many happy Saturdays at the boarding school watching these two.
A rugby union man, by his own admission, playing league. Him and Jason Robinson are the best converts in each direction.
He was captain of my rugby team at school. I was number 8 due to my size (6 foot 3 at 15) and I'd just bulldoze everyone then yell "Get the ball to Offiah" :D
You must've been at Woolverstone Hall then? Martin is a good friend of mine but a few years older. We played your school and got arse kicked all over the place !! 😂😂
@@marccarroll2803 yep Woolverstone Hall. Apologies for the arse kicking haha!
He was underrated as a cross-code player. Because he was unbelievable in Union as well
Martin Offiah was the player i tuned in for
I only watched RL as it was on the BBC and it was free. The Challenge Cup finals were electric and Offiah was a demon winger. Sensational talent.
Strangely I didn't thin Martin was technically gifted as a player, but he was an incredible athlete and 100% professional which put him above pretty much everybody.
I remember playing against him when he played for Rosslyn Park and he put the turbo on and left me in his dust!
“Chariots”...such a boss nickname
"Chariots" Offiah now features in a statue of great rugby league players outside Wembley Stadium.
A freak of nature. The best winger I saw play the game....
Great tries, Martin.
What a player could run like the wind
Rolls Royce of a winger.
Imagine him on today’s pitches! (2020).
He' d be a very good winger but have fewer tries as defences are far better and he wouldn't be in teams that were NOT massively dominant, That Wigan side were fully professional and had internationals from 1-13 and Widnes were no luches before that.
@Firsthgyhgyhuy Lastujhujhuj Yeah whatever, instead of a child like retort make a case as to why you disagree. Everything I've said is valid, no way would he have the same number of tries and be scoring as he did. The huge differences in teams was massive, Wigan particularly.
And yes defences are far better, less space for him though clearly at his peak with good ball out wide he'd still run a load in in a decent side but nowhere near what he did in his era.
But crack on why you disagree!
@@ynotnilknarf39 it depends if you had a playstyle or tactics which pulled the defense out of position, giving you an overlap or finding a gap, then he possibly could.
@@ynotnilknarf39 he wouldn’t be just a very good winger, he’d be the best in the world. He was a once in a lifetime talent . Most likely he’d be playing for one of the best teams in the world and would capitalise fully on the advantage that would afford him.
@@derekdevaney2242 Best in the world right now, not a chance! He played in an era where his outright pace served him very well, and as I said, he played in a team that ultimately was far and away superior to every team on the planet by definition of them being fully professional, only the Australian teams were fully pro at that time period. The balance between teams now means no winger is scoring 50/60 tries a season, not even the very best Australian wingers.
That's not to say Offiah wasn't one of the greats, he played what was in front of him, in the teams he did and took full advantage of that. He's not the best winger ever, Deffo top 10 but not just based on tries scored. IMHO he'd get a lot of tries but the game is so vastly different to 30-35 years ago and his main asset was offence, his defence was more than below par.
His best ones Deffo in a widnes shirt
I remember when he played in the middlesex sevens in 87 or 88 .....He had a tremendous duel with Andrew Harriman when Roslyn park played Harlequins .
the try @ 0:46 in the Gb shirt, who is the opposition
Incredible! My only question: who was better Martin Offiah or Jason Robinson? Totally different styles I know, and each better in different circumstances. But both wingers, so who do you pick in your team, if you can only have one?
Offiah scored more tries- a LOT more....
Chariots! they called him because he was so fast. Rumour was he beat Linford Christie in a 100m dash and could have seriously challenged for an Olympic medal in sprinting 100/200m Carl Lewis but was more interested in League
'dash'?!
Chariots Offiah on BBC Grandstand.
Good times.
Same here. He was sensational.
Offia was an absolute great. Please make a video of Stanley GENE of PNG. Thanks!
Legend.
Best winger ever . Martin was my hero
Just a 100% magnificent rugby talent.
He was the man
WOW!
Legend
Magician
In my more critical moments I rue that he didn't have a killer weapon, like a discombobulating sidestep. Let's face it, sometimes he did look a bit wobbly when changing his running lines. But then you have to accept that his weapon simply was staring down an opponent, and indicating "I'm faster than you are, so I'm going to run past you, and there's nothing you can do about it!".
I'm also note there a some very effective hand-offs. None that smashed people to the floor, but enough so that it created the space to allow him to burn his would-be tacklers. And burn them he did.
Chariots offiah what a legend
Beast.
He was the man alright mate 👏
Like watching a ballet
:O)
Exactly light on his feet!!
You wouldnt catch him, even if you set off day before,
😂😂😂
his best tries were scored playing for widnes.
His regen is Jason qareqare
I've seen shorts like those before. They were being worn by a waitress at Hooters.
ブライトン&ホーヴ・アルビオンのオフィアの伯父なのか。確かにサッカー選手っぽいステップの踏み方をしているようにも見えるな。
You could have a 50 metre start in a 100 metre race and he would win.
Not the best winger ever - he deffo had his flaws - but without question the greatest try-scorer in modern history in either code, and maybe ever...
But not good enough for English Rugby Union. Strange that....... sure he was from Roslyn Park so plenty of exposure there.
The world's best players didn't played Union, back then. It was still amateur. They would lose a fortune playing for England RFU.
@@chrisjames6327 “shamateur” more like it.
Being black and not a posh boy didn't help. Also Widnes got him young and taught him how to pass and tackle.
Too good for English Rugby Union.
Yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy the crap music ?????????????????????