By MARK CASHMAN

The smarties say that speed is something that cannot be coached. The Shute Shield has it in spades and it’s sprinkled right throughout the 13 clubs.

You can watch it every Saturday arvo on Stan Sport and it’s often is the difference between winning and losing. Coaches feel a lot more comfortable when there is plenty of it sprinkled throughout their XV.

So this column thought that it would be a great exercise to ask who is quick at the various clubs and who’s not that far behind.

Uni coach Rob Taylor is a man that enjoys structure and discipline in his footy sides and said the quickest at Camperdown would come from a group of four – veteran Henry Clunies-Ross, Eddy King, Matt Hood and Nathaniel Tamwoy.

That’s a huge wrap for Clunies-Ross when you consider that he has made his way back from a flesh-eating infection in his leg a couple of seasons back.

The Students love to go to the edges when the time is right and they are well served in King and Hood as well as Tamwoy with the first two getting the nod for first grade at the moment.

At Eastwood Lachlan Shelley stands out as the quickest at TG Millner Field according to first grade coach Ben Batger.

Shelley is in a group that includes Harry Wilson and Mark Nawaqanitawase who go sub five seconds over 40 metres but Lachie pretty much has them covered.

There is also a young prop at the club Adrian Brown who has run 4.97sec over the standard 40m distance.

On the acceleration front you cannot go past scrum half Matt Gonzalez and Sam Dolores who has been playing on the wing in first grade in recent weeks.

Beasties boss Pauli Taumoepeau nominates Blake Rixon as his go to gas man and the six tries that he has scored in the Shute Shield so far this year underlines the importance of speed.

You could also throw into the jet shoes group at Woollahra Richie Woolf who is at the back end of his career but still faster than most and centre Nic Jooste who has scored some nice tries on the outside shoulder and in support.

There is some contention over the speed question at Coogee Oval with Jackson Mohi and Christian Yassmin in the debate according to first grade coach Ben McCormack.

Yassmin sits second on the Shute Shield try scoring list with nine but Mohi has many supporters and when pressed McCormack gave the nod to Mohi.

We shall see how that opinion goes down at training tonight at Latham Park!

In the very good Randwick colts system though there are some genuine speedsters with Gage Phillips and Winiata Cherrington turning numerous heads.

Warringah coach Mike Ruthven throws up Esera Chee-Kam as the quickest amongst his group but there are other there with skipper Ben Marr and Charlie Tupu right up there in the speedy stakes.

At Manly Oval injuries have blunted their men with speed for the moment with Yool Yool and Harry Hayward the pick of their crocked jet shoes brigade.

Yool’s speed got him noticed big time last season and he picked up a national sevens squad contract but did a knee and he is now in rehab.

Of the fit guys Marlins coach Matt McGoldrick nominates Justin Tavae who he says is lightning off a standing start.

Gordon coach Brian Melrose nominated Mike Pavlakis and Brandon Quinn as his men of speed.

Pavlakis scored two tries against Warringah last weekend and sits in fifth place on the competition try scoring list with seven.

There’s not much of him but you get there feeling that he is one of the first picked by Melrose each week while Quinn, who made a return from injury last weekend, is right up there.

At Norths coach Zak Beer said that his trio of James Turner, Max Burey and Reece Mau’u were right up there with the best in the competition.

Throw into that group a couple of newbies to first grade in Seb Cameron and Harry Cudmore, who scored four tries on his Shute Shield debut against the Two Blues, and you’ve got, dare I say it, speed to burn.

Southern Districts coach Todd Louden likes the attributes that Joseph Veramu brings to the table. 

He’s your classic Fijian speedster with speed off the mark, coupled with long range speed and oodles of footy nous thrown in.

West coach Mark Gudmunson says his wing man Toti Maafi is the Pirates best but Joseva Vunisa is the one who you would pout your money on over the 100m.

Up at the Hunter Wildfires you cannot go past Nate De Thierry and Michael Saili who has shown a clean set of heels and is currently in the race to be his club’s top try scorer with six at this stage of the season from limited opportunities.

Coach Scott Coleman says that De Thierry has the upper hand on Saili at the moment but William Lewisi is also up there but is a more robust figure out wide along with Hamish McKie who has done well in recent weeks.

At Penrith outside back Jo Mar and Vili Cerei are the best of a handy bunch while at the Two Blues Api Bera, Sam Babb and Saiyasi Ikanidrodro all stand out.

The Two Blues also have Jordan Williams, a wing or fullback who is currently in the Aussie Sevens setup.

So of all those names who is the best of the best, the quickest of the quick? – let’s organise a purse and settle the matter on grand final day. As my wife says I’m an ideas man!

Catch all the Shute Shield speedsters live and on demand on Stan Sport throughout the 2021 season. 

IMAGE: KAREN WATSON