It was among the most fearsome sights in rugby league during the mid-to-late 1980s: Sam Backo, at 188 centimetres and 115 kilograms, charging at the defensive line with a full head of steam.
"Slammin' Sam" as he became known, left tacklers in his wake during his distinguished career playing 153 first-grade games for the Canberra Raiders, Brisbane Broncos and Leeds in the United Kingdom.
