100% agree, all being fit we have the best forward pack in the league and two quality half-backs would have an absolute field day playing behind them, unfortunately we have Briers instead.

You never stop do you?

Give it a rest, you're boring.

Come on could you imagine a quality back playing behind our forwards, people of old like Gregory, Hanley, Edwards etc, even the Aussies that play now, Price, Thurston and Orford they woud think it was Christmas every week.

I don't think the pack was that dominant for us this season with the exception of the Saints and Hull KR games. I agree we have got a good pack in terms of potential but we have a whole squad of which the same could be said. Think Briers had a good game against KR and maybe you should cut him some slack for a couple of games and see where we are then.

Why has Monaghan not shone like a beacon then ? Your singling out Briers, what about the other underperforming halfback over the last 18 mths ?

As i have said on numerous occasions he get's pushed into the background when Briers plays, drop Briers and you will see the best of him.

He can't kick from hand. No other player other than Briers can hence...
So no, don't drop Briers.
(I have got a feeling we have been over this discussion before)
(at least twice)

Have to agree that Briers and Monaghan are the Lampard and Gerrard of SL Individually great but can't perform together we need 2 half backs not 2 individual half backs which one goes is up to Our Lord master up on high Tony Smith to decide in him we trust .

Hmmm, your opinion but I disagree.

The forwards for me were simply going through the motions in each game apart from Leeds, KR and Stains (2nd half). They have pretty much come out and said that the performances have been below par!!

Some would say that the platform needs to be laid by the forwards for the backs and 3/4's to show their gile - no gile, no platform.

We conceded less points when Monnas was on the pitch and looked an all round better TEAM ,Briers needs to learn that there is NO I in TEAM and play as part of the TEAM and not an individual . Against a good team like Saints or Leeds Briers will cost us 12 to 18 pts due to his shortfalls in defense .
I have no doubt he will shine against Crusaders but they are a poor team and our sights need to be on the top not the bottom and if consistency is what we need I see no room for Briers in the squad after this season .

Right, I see, what your doing is judging everything on the Hull KR game whilst others, are doing the same over the past 18 mths. Briers set up two tries, and his manager who dropped him to the bench, made a point of singling him out for praise post match, so I think he must have gone pretty well all told.

take LWf's comments on the matt king thread last week about penny, and switch it for briers and hey presto, that's your post.


The Penny attack, the new update version of teh Chewbacca Defence.

Briers seems to get to much praise from fans because of his 10 year devotion to the club, for the whole 10 years Briers has been an average player in some very poor teams which makes him look like a world beater.
You cant honestly say Briers is or was a world class half-back, he's never played for Britain on a regular basis (not judging him on that) and please don't tell me there were to many other good half-backs around because if your worthy of a place in the international team you get one, Briers was never called up because of his defence even when all and sundry were protesting for him to be picked the offer was never forthcoming.

Now that the game has moved on from 4,5,6 years ago more and more people are starting to relies Briers isn't that good when you watch the other half-backs that are around these days, Briers has also been lucky that the coach's have liked him as a person (not a player) the coach's such as DVDV and Cullen were his best mate, Anderson and Plange didn't like him much but they wasn't here long enough anyway.

All in all Briers has had a very fortunate career and is getting far to much praise for it, i for one hope his contract isn't renewed and if it isn't it will be because he isn't good enough and nothing to do with his age as some people seem to think.

Would this be the pack that has conceded 108 points in their last two away games??

But of course its Briers and Monaghans fault if we cant shove 60 and 70 points on teams behind a pack like that!!

so who was it that was missing tackles left right and centre against quins then? just the backs and all tries were scored out wide i take it?

So many holes and inaccuracies in that and given it's written by such a one-eyed negative bigot, I can't be bothered responding.

but you kinda did anyway

D'OH!

You need to change your name back. St. Chunter just doesn't work.

What a ridiculous statement - Brian Bevan never played for Australia - I guess he must have been average as well on this basis

Read my post again and you will see i said i wasn't judging him on that.

Okay - still reads the same. Cracking contradiction in there...!! You say your not judging him on international appearances and then come out with the above. So, he didn't get too many GB caps and therefore, in your words, not worthy.

Oh and he was asked to cover for the departing Mr Long (after he spat his dummy and refused to say sorry for being a naughty boy) when they were in Aus the other year and declined the offer. I don't think Lee and Noble get on you see.....

Is this yours?

If such a great scrum half gets pushed into the background when playing alongside a scrawny standoff thats never played for Great Britain... is alledgedly part of the old pop drinkers regime and is an all round crap halfback who cant kick defend or run......then Christ Help Monaghan when he's faced with a Bradford Leeds or Saints pack that are on top................I'll get me clean shorts....

I dont Recall Allan Langer getting Pushed into the Background....did Andrew Johns have to listen to Cullen say Joey your just here as a publicity stunt Let Briers do his stuff.....

Briers has played alongside the best and the worst and the ordinary......Michael Monaghan is in the ordinary i'm afraid, you need to accept it .....if he improves then great but dont blame Monaghans form on Briers

HAve you seen the ben westwood one?