According to his new book, we almost signed him again in 2003 but Millward went for Jason Hooper instead. I loved Hooper, but would we have been better with Briers?

rlLee Briersrl

Briers is twice the player hooper was. I'd take Briers over hoops every time.

Snap.

Jason Hooper was a quality player and massively underrated imo, he was unlucky with injury at end of 2004 season (where he was outstanding) and struggled the year after, but when fit I would have had him over Briers any day personally

Now? Yes. Then? I'd of taken hooper every day!

I don't see Long and Briers in the same team, myself, so I'd say no.

Exactly, too many cooks and all that. I have absolutely no doubt that the two of them together, both in the squad and in the team, would have been a ticking time bomb.

Briers' ability has also increased massively as he has matured. Pre Tony Smith at Warrington I wouldn't have touched Briers with a barge pole. He was far too gung ho, particularly against Saints where his raging bitterness shone through and he tried too hard, completely at the disadvantage of his side's tactics. He didn't mature into the player he is now until later on in his career and he wasn't worthy of a place at Saints until recently.

Breirs would have been a natural to play alongside Longy and would have provided us with 2 kickers and creative halfs in those years when we where making finals but not winning that cutting edge could have made the difference. Also would have solved our more recent half back issue.

Hooper was fine, but I would not class him in the same class as Longy, Martyn and Briers.

Briers has only come into prominence over the last 5 years, in 2003 he was a poor defender and had a sloppy (interceptions) passing game. He would have been better around 2008 when Long + co were at the end of there careers.

I disagree I think Briers has always had a touch of class about him, even in 2000 he took the aussies on with Cunningham.

It was not just Briers that changed with Smith. The whole Warrington side upped their game. So if you put Briers in a better side, he would have been better.

Exactermundo! Briers is/was brilliant but not as good as Longy.
Would he have helped us in the last few years, Plenty!!

I'm with you. I remember when Bobby G got his 8 match ban for taking Neil Cowie's head off. Up stepped the kid Lee Briers and he was outstanding. Especially in the game against Wigan where Tommy Martyn pulled up in the warm up and all we had was Lee Briers and we beat them off a great performance by Briers.

It's a shame Bobby returned from his ban and Lee joined Warrington. I think he'd have been a saints great in the same league as KC if he'd stayed a saints.

Hooper was an underrated player though. He was better in the back row than at 6, but he had an awful lot of guile and steel - when we started to lose players like him, Talau and Scully, our trophies started to dry up.

If he'd stayed we would probably not have picked up Longy from Widnes. I'm happy with the deal we got thanks.

Spot on , you always need that Steel and guile to go along with the flair in a team. Obviously it's better if you can find a player with everything like Scully but those players are few and far between.