Lee Briers’ next club confirmed as coach makes ’emotional’ Super League return

Brisbane Broncos assistant Lee Briers will be joining St Helens’ coaching team next season, the club have confirmed. Briers has spent the last two seasons working with the Broncos Down Under, but he will be moving back to the north of England in the off-season after agreeing a two-year deal with the Saints.

Briers is highly regarded as a coach and continues to work under Shaun Wane as an assistant in the England set-up, while he has also spent time coaching at Warrington Wolves and Wigan Warriors. His return to Super League has been rumoured for some time, but the Saints have now confirmed his appointment, with Briers joining Paul Wellens’ coaching set up.

The 46-year-old may have spent most of his playing days with Warrington, but he is no stranger to St Helens having grown up in the town and emerged through the club’s academy. He made six appearances in the red vee in 1997 before moving on to join the Wolves and therefore a return to Merseyside can be considered special for the former Great Britain international.

“It’s pretty emotional, I’ve got goosebumps and now it’s getting confirmed the hairs on my arms are standing up, I’m genuinely so excited,” he told the club website after penning the deal. “In sport you can be a professional, you can give your all for different clubs and you can have great relationships and bonds – but there is nothing like playing or coaching for your hometown club.

“Me and my family never left the town and for 27 or so years I’ve had to put up with being seen as kind of like the enemy, but now it’s just a surreal moment for me and my family – I can’t wait.

“My conversations with Wello have been everything I thought they would be, in what is a fabulous leader. I’m so excited to work under him, learn from him, and add my bit to make the team where the team should be.”

Wellens knows Lee Briers well of course, having pitted his wits against him in the Super League on a host of occasions. However, the head coach also played alongside his newest assistant in the Saints academy.

“Despite being away from the club for a long time, he has never thought of himself as anything other than being a St Helens lad,” Wellens said. “It’s great to welcome him back and he’s going to add knowledge, experience, enthusiasm, and a passion for the team and the club to our coaching team.

“Funnily enough I was in the academy as a young kid and one of my first games was playing alongside Lee as my half-back partner. It’s pretty cool that almost 25+ years later we get to team up again.

“I’ve had a number of conversations with him, and I can’t understate how excited and happy Lee is to get the opportunity to come and work for this club again. As a St Helens boy myself, your path can go in a different direction, but in some respects, there is a light that never goes out, and I think that’s certainly been the case.”