Briers is a unique player in the British game.
The topic of how to replace Briers seems to have been something that we have discussed for years now.
The reality is that we probably won't be able to replace him because I don't believe there is another Briers out there at the moment.
There is no point comparing O'Brien, Myler or anyone else to him as they may turn into great players in their own right but they are not Briers.

Having said that though, do we need to replace Briers?
We have become so reliant on him over the years and even now with a team filled with stars we were missing his creativity on Monday night against Catalan.
But surely that is just because we have Briers and so we play a certain way and when he is not there we will have to learn to play a new way.
Wigan, Saints, Bradford and Leeds have all won numerous grand finals without a Lee Briers so do we really need a new Lee Briers?

Sometimes when you have a player who you rely on so much, you find that other players step up to the mark once they have gone.
It is not fair to compare a player to Briers when they only come in for a few games here and there but the team he is playing in is still built around the style of Briers.
You might find that once Briers is gone and the attacking style of Warrington evolves, that certain players come into their own and take control.

One aspect where GOB is leagues ahead is his goal kicking. Don’t know about his one pointers though.

This is the same in all modern sports unfortunately.
I watched a documentary about football in Brazil made by Fernando Meirelles who directed City of God. It was about grass roots football in Brazil, and one of the things it highlighted was how players coming through now had to be of a certain build and a certain speed by age 16 or else they would not be considered for a contract.
He was saying that sport is now becoming so obsessed with fitness and strength that the skill factor has taken a back seat.
One coach for one of the main Brazilian football teams said that a player like Maradona would struggle to get a contract in South America in this day and age because of his height and build.

Now going back to Rugby League, we have seen players like Lee Briers who have something special that not many players have and yet they always have a doubt over them from certain people because they are not strong enough in defence or they are not fast enough to go the full length when they make a break. You will find now that scouts and coaches will play it safe and choose the strong fast athletic player rather than the smaller slower skillful player.

Quote: Dita's Slot Meter "I think the main problem, and its a problem that exists throughout the British game, is that young players are having their 'flair' coached out of them and are now being brought up to simply fit in to a system.....Never mind wondering whether Briers would have had a different outcome to his career had he played at a sucessful club right from the start, I think another interesting question would be how a young Lee Briers would fit into Super League in 2012 - With his suspect defence and penchant for doing stuff that might make his coach's hair turn grey, you have to wonder if he would follow the Kevin Penny route of being a luxury that couldn't be persevered with?'" Great question - one that I think would be ideal for asking at: viewtopic.php?f=21&t=532195&tsmp=1342177373 I hope plenty of fans turn up to hear the answers...

Quote: Dita's Slot Meter "I think the main problem, and its a problem that exists throughout the British game, is that young players are having their 'flair' coached out of them and are now being brought up to simply fit in to a system.....Never mind wondering whether Briers would have had a different outcome to his career had he played at a sucessful club right from the start, I think another interesting question would be how a young Lee Briers would fit into Super League in 2012 - With his suspect defence and penchant for doing stuff that might make his coach's hair turn grey, you have to wonder if he would follow the Kevin Penny route of being a luxury that couldn't be persevered with?'" Great question - one that I think would be ideal for asking at: viewtopic.php?f=21&t=532195&tsmp=1342177373 I hope plenty of fans turn up to hear the answers...

that will come with experience and confidence I'm sure.

Not very often we've agreed over the last couple of years, Colin, but on these points, you're spot on.

Let GO'B be GO'B, and not Lee Briers, and stop this endless comparison, business.
Yes, stand-offs and scrum halves have a defined role, BUT, they are not a mirror image of each other.
After all Briers is a Stand off, and GO'B is a scrum half (to the letter of the law).

I'm a fan of a certain rock group (particularly their older output), and when I put their stuff on You Tube, I'm met with a diatribe of 5h1te in the comments section, that the touring guitarist doesn't play the original guitarist's solos, in the exact manner of the originals. THAT'S BECAUSE HE'S HIS OWN MAN, AND HE DOESN'T PLAY IN THAT EXACT STYLE OF HIS PREDESESSOR, HE HAS HIS OWN STYLE(and it's bloody brilliant). Let GO'B BE HIS OWN MAN.