Offiah Snr backing his boy to hit the heights
TYLER Offiah has been backed to make his senior debut for Bath this season – by his try-scoring legend father Martin.
Tyler, 18, joined the Premiership title hopefuls on a three-year deal this summer after they beat off competition from Leicester, Gloucester, Sale and rugby league giants Wigan.
The imposing winger played for England Under-18s earlier this year and is combining his rugby commitments with a degree at the University of Bath.
Significantly, he scored a try on his first-team debut for Bath in their pre-season friendly win over Munster at The Rec, and made a try-scoring debut for the University of Bath in their 40-27 in over Durham University on Wednesday.
Offian Snr said: “Tyler starts university in Bath this month and he’s been doing well with his rugby – it was great for him to score on his debut against Munster.
“He’s been on the bench or got on during all Bath’s pre-season friendly games and is not near to getting a Premiership start yet but he’s doing well.
“Everyone’s raving about him and he’s still training with the senior squad. I think Tyler playing in a Premiership Rugby Cup game this season is definitely on the cards, yes.
“He’s hopefully going to get an opportunity in that competition, I’d say.”
Offiah senior’s exploits with all-conquering Wigan in the early 1990s earned him a huge collection of winners’ medals, legendary status in the 13-a-side code and an MBE from Buckingham Palace.
Outside Wembley Stadium, he is immortalised in a bronze statue which features four other all-time league greats in Eric Ashton, Billy Boston, Alex Murphy and Gus Risman.
Martin, whose deadly finishing earned him the nickname ‘Chariots Offiah’, says the two codes are in a different state to when he played.
He added: “Rugby union is highly professional nowadays but it wasn’t like that in my era, hence why I moved north to play rugby league.
“Tyler’s a totally different winger to me – far bigger and more powerful than I ever was.
“We’re on our separate journeys and Tyler is making his way in rugby union, so obviously people are going to ask him ‘are you as fast as your dad?’
“That’s a bit frustrating for Tyler but it’s just the lie of the land.
“I’ve certainly got a wealth of knowledge I can pass on to Tyler and he is learning from his England and Bath coaches as well.
“I always say ‘take bits of information that you like, and what you don’t like you don’t take’.
“Then you definitely become your own man and not a clone of anybody. Am I proud of what Tyler is doing? Very much so.”
