NEWS How Briers helped the Broncos gallop to the NRL's summit

221129 training59


Marc Bazeley
Sky Sports

When Kevin Walters decided he needed to inject some new life into Brisbane Broncos' attack midway through last year, it is perhaps no surprise he picked up the phone and called his former Warrington Wolves team-mate Lee Briers.


Regarded as one of Super League's most skilful and visionary attacking players prior to hanging up his boots 10 years ago, the Wolves' all-time leading point-scorer has successfully transitioned into coaching - first with his old club and then with Wigan Warriors.

The lure of testing himself in Australia, which had been there since first touring the country as a junior player in 1993, proved great enough for Briers to accept Broncos head coach Walters' offer and depart Wigan after just one season, and he now finds himself pitting his attacking wits towards unlocking some of rugby league's stubbornest defences.

"It's probably the defensive side [which is the biggest difference between the NRL and Super League]," Briers told Sky Sports while appearing as guest pundit for Thursday's live Betfred Super League match which saw his previous employers go down 14-10 to a defiant Hull FC.

"It is defence-orientated and as an attack coach it's something I have to get my head round a bit more.

"Coming into the role just after Christmas, I'm thereabouts to stamp my authority and my philosophies.

"My philosophy is all about support play. Everything revolves around support and making sure we take energy from the opposition."

That is evidenced by the fact Brisbane were leading the way in the NRL with 54.3 support runs per game heading into Friday's Magic Round opener, but the transformation Briers has helped oversee in the Broncos' attacking game to help propel last year's ninth-place finishers to the top of the table has been nothing short of remarkable.

Following Friday's 32-6 win over Manly Sea Eagles at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane lead the NRL in both tries (47) and points (266), along with tackle breaks (375) and post-contact metres (5,440).

On an individual level, the amount of support the ball carrier is given is evidenced by full-back Reece Walsh topping the charts in both try assists (11) and linebreak assists (13).

Half-back Adam Reynolds has made a league-leading 83 attacking kicks too - another trait of Briers during his playing days.

Rather than necessarily any tactical or technical differences, though, the 44-year-old believes what makes NRL defences tougher to crack is the physical make-up of the players in the competition compared to those in Super League.

"The main difference is the athlete is a lot bigger and faster in Australia - it's their national sport so they get the first pick from the pool," Briers said. "In the UK, we probably get third [pick] behind football and rugby union.

"It's harder to break defences down because the athletes are so fast and so strong. What I find is it's the same IQ as it is over here, but some of them have not been coached into how to play rugby league.

"The athletes get by on size and speed alone and that's where I come in, that's my job to educate them on how to play rugby league. It's working so far, I suppose."

Briers arrived at the Broncos in December last year and his brief return to these shores saw him watching a game featuring sides coached by his former Warrington boss Tony Smith and Matt Peet, the man who took him to Wigan last year for a season which ended with winning the Betfred Challenge Cup and reaching the Super League play-off semi-finals.

The former Wales international remains grateful for everything he learnt from both men, but has no regrets about his move down under which is benefiting both him and his family.

"We went over as a family unsure of what we were going into, but we absolutely love it," Briers said. "It's a fantastic place to be and I'm in the best place I can be for my coaching career at the minute.

"I had a great time at Warrington for 25 years and then moving onto Wigan last year, I've got a lot of debt to pay them.

"I've got a lot of experience as an assistant coach, and this came out of the blue to go to the Broncos. I love it there and I'm learning every day."
 
I wonder if he could be a draw for any pommy forwards?
 
If he has been a significant part of our turn around, kudos to kevvy for (a) identifying the issue and (b) correctly selecting the right person with the right skill set to address the issues.
 
No doubt our attack looks far different this year. He must be doing something right.
It could also be that now he's got the ammo to play with......

I think a significant reason why it looks different is Reece Walsh, plus......everyone is in good form.
 
If he has been a significant part of our turn around, kudos to kevvy for (a) identifying the issue and (b) correctly selecting the right person with the right skill set to address the issues.

His official job description when he signed on was development officer .
Better composure and set plays inside the 20 still need work .
 
Development coach- he was always attack, spine and affiliate players.

Briers Appointed Development Coach for 2023


broncos.com.auTimestampTue 9 Aug 2022, 06:15 PM

Vastly experienced coach and player Lee Briers has been appointed as Development Coach at the Brisbane Broncos for the 2023 season.​

Briers will add an international flavour to the Broncos, having spent a quarter-decade stretch at Warrington in the English Super League – 16 years as a player in the halves and a further eight years as part of the Coaching staff to the end of 2021.


That`s Broncos media saying it . Who am I to believe ????
 

Briers Appointed Development Coach for 2023


broncos.com.auTimestampTue 9 Aug 2022, 06:15 PM

Vastly experienced coach and player Lee Briers has been appointed as Development Coach at the Brisbane Broncos for the 2023 season.​

Briers will add an international flavour to the Broncos, having spent a quarter-decade stretch at Warrington in the English Super League – 16 years as a player in the halves and a further eight years as part of the Coaching staff to the end of 2021.


That`s Broncos media saying it . Who am I to believe ????

Correct Development coach- which is what I said you didn't say that. Massive difference to what you said.
 
Yeah right ! Apology - not !

I said development officer . You said always attack, spine and affiliate players.

But does he swing it off the pitch ?
 
Briers is the Broncos new Development Coach and has hit the ground running in his first month with the club, working with the squad during the preseason.

“I will work with the guys who go and play at our affiliate clubs, Norths, Wynnum and Souths, and will be helping out with offence, mentoring the spine,” he said.

“The role is an array of things. There is some really smart footballers here, we are just here to guide them to make sure they can fulfill their potential.”

 
Yeah right ! Apology - not !

I said development officer . You said always attack, spine and affiliate players.

But does he swing it off the pitch ?

Briers is the Broncos new Development Coach and has hit the ground running in his first month with the club, working with the squad during the preseason.

“I will work with the guys who go and play at our affiliate clubs, Norths, Wynnum and Souths, and will be helping out with offence, mentoring the spine,” he said.

“The role is an array of things. There is some really smart footballers here, we are just here to guide them to make sure they can fulfill their potential.”

 
Briers is the Broncos new Development Coach and has hit the ground running in his first month with the club, working with the squad during the preseason.

“I will work with the guys who go and play at our affiliate clubs, Norths, Wynnum and Souths, and will be helping out with offence, mentoring the spine,” he said.

“The role is an array of things. There is some really smart footballers here, we are just here to guide them to make sure they can fulfill their potential.”

Briers Appointed Development Coach for 2023


broncos.com.auTimestampTue 9 Aug 2022, 06:15 PM

So he runs out to Norths , Wynnum and South Brisbane in between drilling the spine ?
Busy man .
 

Briers Appointed Development Coach for 2023


broncos.com.auTimestampTue 9 Aug 2022, 06:15 PM

So he runs out to Norths , Wynnum and South Brisbane in between drilling the spine ?
Busy man .

I see your confusion- The Cup players train at Red Hill. They are there every day. They only do one session with their Cup team on a Friday night before they play on Saturday or Sunday.

He doesn't need to go to Wynnum to coach Smoothy and Mariner- they are at Red Hill.

He reviews their Cup game with them- so they can develop and get in the NRL side.
 

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