Lee Briers is a professional rugby league player who currently plays for Warrington Wolves in the Super League. He previously played for St. Helens, and at international level he won 23 caps for Wales, many of those as captain. His usual position is Stand-off.
[edit] St Helens
Briers signed for hometown club St Helens and broke into their first team as a teenager, standing in for the suspended captain Bobbie Goulding. His performances helped guide the Saints through to the 1997 Challenge Cup final, winning the Man Of The Match award in the semi-final defeat of Salford. However, the return of Goulding meant Briers was dropped to the reserves, missing out on an appearance in the final. In addition to being dropped for the final, Briers was not taken to be fitted for a Cup Final suit and was not taken with the squad down to Wembley, much to his - and his team mates' - chagrin. Local rivals Warrington Wolves stepped in to secure his signature in a £65,000 move.
[edit] Warrington
Briers made an instant impact at his new club. His presence at scrum half added an attacking edge to the Warrington team and he was nominated for Young Player of The Year in his first season at Wilderspool. He went on to become the primary playmaker of the side, and was named as captain in 2003. During that time Briers became well known for his excellent kicking skills and his ability to successfully convert drop goals. He currently holds the Super League record, and jointly Warrington all-time record (with Paul Bishop), for the most number of drop goals in a game (5 against Halifax at The Shay in 2002).
Lee Briers' Testimonial match at Warrington took place in 2007 and he stepped down as captain at the end of the season.
Briers played for Warrington in the 2010 Challenge Cup Final victory over the Leeds Rhinos, in the latter of which he won the Lance Todd Trophy for his performance [2]
The 2011 Super League season was Briers' 14th. During this season he broke a number of club records including top all time points scorer, having overtaken club greats Brian Bevan and Steve Hesford. He broke the record during a 112-0 demolition of Swinton Lions.[3] This match also saw Briers break his own club record for points in a match (set 11 years earlier against York), with 44 points, from 16 goals and three tries.
[edit] International Honours
Having made his Wales debut in 1998, Briers went on to make 23 appearances for his country and featured in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup. Following the team's failure to qualify for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, Briers announced his international retirement. However he came out of retirement to represent Wales in the 2010 European Cup, and captained the side to victory in the tournament. He went on to captain Wales in the 2011 Four Nations, before once again retiring from international rugby league at the tournament's end. [4]
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[edit] External links
| Persondata |
| Name |
Briers, Lee |
| Alternative names |
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| Short description |
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| Date of birth |
14 June 1978 |
| Place of birth |
St Helens, Merseyside |
| Date of death |
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| Place of death |
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