Lee briers could turn wales into a competitive nation?

[winnyason]

Watched the guy in the replay here in australia a marvel, superb vision.

Here could really help wales steamroll france in the euro cup if he makes himself available.

Warrington great side with ball in hand. This guy has got better with age.

[1976PMJwires]

Yeah he could, god help the French if he does.

Come on Briers, lead the Welsh and make my day

Welsh over French anyday.

[HappyDave]

On his current form he's superb & really leading Warrington but they have an excellent squad to back him up. Apart from him & Gareth Thomas would the Welsh squad have any other World Class Rugby players? Surely the French have at least 5-6? Good luck to Wales, I don't want to be cynical but if he leads them to victory in the European Cup then bows out, wouldn't they get annialated in the 4 Nations next year?

Edited August 30, 2010 by HappyDave

[Wendall]

Watched the guy in the replay here in australia a marvel, superb vision.

Here could really help wales steamroll france in the euro cup if he makes himself available.

Warrington great side with ball in hand. This guy has got better with age.

As Johns said a few years ago, Briers is one truly world class player we have in this country.

He could well be the difference between Wales and France as he is by miles the best British British half back we have.

Imagine we had a choice of Briers and Tomkins and Eastmond for the 4 Nations! Bring back GB!!!

[Wendall]

On his current form he's superb & really leading Warrington but they have an excellent squad to back him up. Apart from him & Gareth Thomas would the Welsh squad have any other World Class Rugby players? Surely the French have at least 5-6? Good luck to Wales, I don't want to be cynical but if he leads them to victory in the European Cup then bows out, wouldn't they get annialated in the 4 Nations next year?

Wales would beat France if they had Briers, Cunningham and Carvell. Out of the French team only Bosc and Greenshields are truely world class players, they have a handy pack but apart from that Wales could beat them.

[thirteenthman]

Wales would beat France if they had Briers, Cunningham and Carvell. Out of the French team only Bosc and Greenshields are truely world class players, they have a handy pack but apart from that Wales could beat them.

The point is though, Wales don't have those players. Lee Briers was playing for Wales in the 08 WC qualifiers but Wales didn't qualify. They just haven't got any depth in their side right now. Someone like Andrew Johns or Darren Lockyer probably could be the difference on their own, but Lee, as good as he is, isn't quite at that level.

[my missus]

granted he is playing well at the moment, but out of the last ten years 8 have been poo and i really think this season will be his final good season.

he has been lucky with injuries this season as well, his form plummets rapidly whenever he gets a few knocks, well done to him for saturday, and i hope he captains wales but it would be a massive ask for him to keep his form going.

[Impartial Observer]

Lee Briers was in the 08 WC qualifiers but I understand his behaviour in the training camp was very poor, allegedly, according to other players in the squad, he stayed up most nights drinking in the bar of the Cardiff Village Hotel though you could say the coaches shouldn't have allowed him to get away with it.

[1976PMJwires]

granted he is playing well at the moment, but out of the last ten years 8 have been poo and i really think this season will be his final good season.

he has been lucky with injuries this season as well, his form plummets rapidly whenever he gets a few knocks, well done to him for saturday, and i hope he captains wales but it would be a massive ask for him to keep his form going.

Sorry, but not true.

link :- http://www.superleague.co.uk/statistics_pl...amp;season=2010

improved on last year and has played less games.

Briers is getting better, enjoying his RL under Smith.

Harry Sunderland could be his next big one

[Dave T]

granted he is playing well at the moment, but out of the last ten years 8 have been poo and i really think this season will be his final good season.

he has been lucky with injuries this season as well, his form plummets rapidly whenever he gets a few knocks, well done to him for saturday, and i hope he captains wales but it would be a massive ask for him to keep his form going.

I disagree with plenty in this thread tbh.

As has been pointed out, Briers played in the '08 qualifying and couldn't carry the team, it is too much of an ask, and as good as his distribution and vision is, he at least needs a few others round him to be on his wavelength!

As for the above post, he really hasn't been poo for 8 of his last 10 years, it is wrong to state that. At times he has been in a terrible team at Warrington, and has had to carry the team. People love to bang on about his off-field issues, but then Long and Gleeson have had plenty and played well. Briers has been very good throughout his career, maybe not as consistent as he could have been, but he has wone more matches for us single-handedly possibly than any other player in recent Wire history.

In terms of injuries, you are also wrong there, he has played fewer SL games this year than since 2003, and the 2nd lowest of his career.

The real difference in Briers now (IMHO) is that he doesn't have to do everything for the team. Sure he is still a big part, but the likes of Clarke, Monaghan, King, Mathers etc all take some of the responsibility, meaning that Briers is generally quieter than he has ever been in games, but can now add more quality to the team instead of quantity. He wouldn't be in that position for Wales.

[Trojan]

I remember Briers playing for Wales against Australia at Huddersfield in the 2000 WC. He was brilliant, but he did have Iestyn outside him. They played Australia off the park for an hour and then ran out of steam. Can't remember the rest of the team though. I presume Anthony Sullivan was one. It was a brilliant night and I've been a Briers fan every since, he never seems to have fulfilled the potential of that night. Whether it's (up to pres) poor coaching at Warrington or some other reason I couldn't say.

[Wolford6]

he never seems to have fulfilled the potential of that night.

Every season without fail at Odsal.

I wish he could be the same at Headingley.

[Big Picture]

I remember Briers playing for Wales against Australia at Huddersfield in the 2000 WC. He was brilliant, but he did have Iestyn outside him. They played Australia off the park for an hour and then ran out of steam. Can't remember the rest of the team though. I presume Anthony Sullivan was one. It was a brilliant night and I've been a Briers fan every since, he never seems to have fulfilled the potential of that night. Whether it's (up to pres) poor coaching at Warrington or some other reason I couldn't say.

I looked up the Wales lineup that day. Here it is:

1. Iestyn Harris (capt.)

2. Chris Smith

3. Jason Critchley

4. Kris Tassell

5. Anthony Sullivan

6. Lee Briers

7. Ian Watson

8. Anthony Farrell

9. Keiron Cunningham

10. Paul Moriarty

11. Justin Morgan

12. Paul Highton

13. Chris Morley

14. Wes Davies

15. Paul Atcheson

16. John Devereux

17. David Luckwell

[boost]

Wales would beat France if they had Briers, Cunningham and Carvell. Out of the French team only Bosc and Greenshields are truely world class players, they have a handy pack but apart from that Wales could beat them.

Carvell ditched Wales a while back. As for Briers, I had the misfortune to watch him and Harris playing their last ever game for Wales. It was against Lebanon at Widnes in the world cup qualifiers a couple of years back. I've have tried to block the half backs second half performance from my memory. Thanks for reminding me!

[my missus]

Sorry, but not true.

link :- http://www.superleague.co.uk/statistics_pl...amp;season=2010

improved on last year and has played less games.

Briers is getting better, enjoying his RL under Smith.

Harry Sunderland could be his next big one

ok i may have been a bit hard on him, lets say poo for 5 from 10 and lets say very inconsistent in those years.

this year he has been very good and consistent but i think perhaps a swansong season for him.

[JohnM]

Briers is the Schofield of his generation but without the charming eloquence of Schoey, IMO

He is undoubtedly a good player, has been key to Wires revival and has put in some winning performances. There is though, some inconsistency and he tends to shine against opposition that does not have a counter-strategy to bottle him up.

Good, yes.

Very good, yes, too.

Great, I don't think so.

[Wolford6]

I looked up the Wales lineup that day. Here it is:

7. Ian Watson

Also had a great game that day.

[Trojan]

I looked up the Wales lineup that day. Here it is:

1. Iestyn Harris (capt.)

2. Chris Smith

3. Jason Critchley

4. Kris Tassell

5. Anthony Sullivan

6. Lee Briers

7. Ian Watson

8. Anthony Farrell

9. Keiron Cunningham

10. Paul Moriarty

11. Justin Morgan

12. Paul Highton

13. Chris Morley

14. Wes Davies

15. Paul Atcheson

16. John Devereux

17. David Luckwell

My god was he still playing in 2000? I remember him playing at Fev for Widnes and coming to the bottom end for the ko all the Fev fans shouting "watch your pockets Devereux's here" I think he twisted his ankle in that game and never played again for Widnes.

He used to work in the office at S Evans and Son in Widnes, and I went in one day and he'd disappeared "back to the valleys" I was told.

[Dave T]

My god was he still playing in 2000? I remember him playing at Fev for Widnes and coming to the bottom end for the ko all the Fev fans shouting "watch your pockets Devereux's here" I think he twisted his ankle in that game and never played again for Widnes.

He used to work in the office at S Evans and Son in Widnes, and I went in one day and he'd disappeared "back to the valleys" I was told.

Unfortunately, this was a major reason why Wales collapsed so badly, they were using players that weren't really playing anymore just to make up the numbers, like him and Moriarty.