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

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."

 

[Morkel]

With Penrith's defence, they are allowed to absolutely smother the opposition and keep them down their end. They don't allow many attacking opportunities, which is why they don't concede many points. But there was a discussion I read recently that compared something like field position vs points conceded, and it showed that compared to how much field position our opposition is allowed, our defence is legit phenomenal. So basically, if Penrith's opposition was afforded the same field position, possession and opportunities as ours have, they would have conceded more points than we have.

 

[Cult]

With Penrith's defence, they are allowed to absolutely smother the opposition and keep them down their end. They don't allow many attacking opportunities, which is why they don't concede many points. But there was a discussion I read recently that compared something like field position vs points conceded, and it showed that compared to how much field position our opposition is allowed, our defence is legit phenomenal. So basically, if Penrith's opposition was afforded the same field position, possession and opportunities as ours have, they would have conceded more points than we have.

But we aren’t a top team so we get penalised a lot apparently

 

[Dash]

With Penrith's defence, they are allowed to absolutely smother the opposition and keep them down their end. They don't allow many attacking opportunities, which is why they don't concede many points. But there was a discussion I read recently that compared something like field position vs points conceded, and it showed that compared to how much field position our opposition is allowed, our defence is legit phenomenal. So basically, if Penrith's opposition was afforded the same field position, possession and opportunities as ours have, they would have conceded more points than we have.

I think I read that same article. Based on our relative field position and possession, we should only have won something like 4 games this season. Our defence AND attack are phenomenal.

 

[Big Del]

Ballin does a bit of everything, he was working with Cup guys last year but was promoted to senior assistant this year and obviously does a lot of hooker work and attack.

He's very good, that's why he's in the Origin staff too and U19 Queensland coach in a month.

What tips is he giving Billy ?
Yeah Bill here we go - one marker . Duck out to the left , then pirouette and head right , then show the ball like you wanna pass it , but don`t . Now take the tackle and play the ball . LOL

 

[BroncosFever]

As weird as it sounds, I think a lot of teams would be more comfortable defending their line than they would 20-30 out with a bit of momentum through the ruck

 

[Galah]

As weird as it sounds, I think a lot of teams would be more comfortable defending their line than they would 20-30 out with a bit of momentum through the ruck

The amount of short drop outs backs your thoughts.

 

[lynx000]

Ballin does a bit of everything, he was working with Cup guys last year but was promoted to senior assistant this year and obviously does a lot of hooker work and attack.

He's very good, that's why he's in the Origin staff too and U19 Queensland coach in a month.

Is he a potential head coach for us in the future? He seems to be having the perfect apprenticeship and developing nicely as a coach.

 

[1910]

Is he a potential head coach for us in the future? He seems to be having the perfect apprenticeship and developing nicely as a coach.

He’s a great teacher- by profession and by skill. He’s really good with young players. He’s great with Mozer. Maybe that area might be his niche. See how he goes as U19 coach.