Quote: fez1 "Can't argue with much of that. Certainly if you combine longevity and impact on the Wire then Bevan and Briers would be at te top of the list.
He didn't make my top 3 but maybe he should have.
Really difficult isn't it?
Just think if TS had got hold of Briers 4 or 5 years earlier.....'"
For me, Briers was already a great player when TS got here.
In 2006 we were average but he was a star and that was the year IMO he really should have gone on the GB tour. He made the train on squad but Noble discarded him and went with Pryce, Long and Horne. Fair enough Saints had been dominant that year but I still think Briers was better than either Pryce or Long at that point.
By then he had already matured a lot from the younger Briers who was brilliant in patches but also prone to losing his head a bit, getting distracted arguing with refs and when things were going against us he'd kick out to touch on the full, he could have done with some better mentoring then but to be fair to him I think he figured things out on his own, and also with the responsibility he had of being captain and senior player and maybe Cullen developed him as well as he definitely improved a lot during the Cullen years.
The era before TS came was a frustrating one for us as we all thought we were ready to do something big with Simon Moran's investment and all the big signings we made but we never followed through on it, but during that time Briers was quietly becoming a more consistent player ready to be the centrepiece of TS's first great team of 2009 to 2013.
Another point about Briers, apart from the second half of 2003 when he broke his hand and Appo took his spot (with great success!), he was very rarely injured for us.
the guy was a RL Legend,him and John Woods best halves ever.NO DOUBT.
