I think
A37575 makes some very valid points.
It's all very well to brief "we'll turn left/right", etc. but we don't really cover
how we are we going to do it.
A modern "heavy" using a dry runway with anti-lock going on fresh carbon brakes, full reverse and aerodynamic braking will probably decelerate at 1g or more. That's 60kts to stopped in less than 3 seconds. When are you going to initiate this manoeuvre? Too early and your partner-in-crime might think you've lost control. Too late and you're at a standstill. If you stop, then set off again, if you're obviously on fire (as seen from the cabin) an evacuation may already be in progress.
IMHO this is something that is talked about a lot since Manchester but rarely practiced. In a widebody on an average runway, you don't have to go far off the centreline to make it more difficult for the emergency services to get to you. I've heard some people suggest going right over to one side then bringing the aircraft back to the middle at an angle... Great idea but as pointed out, wasting valuable time in doing so if you are going to evacuate anyway.
I tend to agree that there is too much emphasis put on the very unlikely scenario of an engine on fire with a ruptured fuel tank. If this is the case, it's really not your day. If you do the engine fire checklist properly it'll probably go out 999,999 times out of a million. I also wonder about the airflow around a fuselage/wing when side on to the wind - there might be some sort of reverse flow that dragged the flames upwind anyway...