‘They’d kill it’ – Super League duo backed for NRL success

Incoming St Helens assistant coach Lee Briers has named two Super League stars who would ‘kill it’ in the NRL.

Wigan Warriors duo Jai Field and Bevan French are the pair that Briers has touted for NRL success with the incoming Saints assistant having worked with the Aussie duo during his time at Wigan Warriors, working under Matt Peet.

He had even argued that Jai Field should have won the Man of Steel award in 2022, claiming: “I remember Brodie Croft winning. Brodie Croft had a great end to the year but Jai Field was by far the best player.”

At St Helens in 2025, Briers will have Jack Welsby and incoming NRL recruit Tristan Sailor who he could potentially model into another one of Super League’s dynamic duos that would light up the competition.

Speaking on The Bench Podcast with Jenna and Jon, Briers was asked to rewind back to his Wigan Warriors days and speak on the pairing of Field and French and the incredible fact that they made the switch to Super League after failing to fully crack the NRL.

“They’d kill it. I just can’t believe that (they’re not in the NRL),” was Briers’ immediate response.

Briers shocked Super League duo are overlooked by the NRL

He’d expand on that as he clarified that he was happy that the pair remain in Super League before claiming that those down under who don’t believe that the Wigan duo could make it in the NRL are “mental”.

Briers said: “It’s not that I would want them to go though, because they’re in Super League and they light this Super League up, but they’re mental in Australia if they think Jai Field and Bevman French can’t make it.

“I watch every game back in Australia, over there, and Bevan French looks like he’s in fast forward when he’s running. That kick that he scored the other day (against Hull KR), a left foot kick and he gets around somehow.”

Both men were in impeccable form when Wigan Warriors beat Penrith Panthers to lift the World Club Challenge back in February with French’s cut-out pass to Miski and Field’s try-saving tackle two of the highlights in the game.

Speaking from the experience of coaching at Wigan, Briers made sure to note the rugby IQ of both men, stating: “Having coached those two guys, people think that they’re just off the cuff and that sort of thing. Well, they are to a point but they’re super smart footballers.”

Wigan clearly know their value to the club but also to Super League with Field contracted until 2027 and French till 2028.