Lee Briers will join St Helens' first-team coaching staff on a two-year contract.
St Helens-born Briers, 46, came through the ranks of the Saint's academy before making his debut for the club in 1997.
The England men's assistant coach has spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach of the Brisbane Broncos in Australia.
He will join up with St Helens head coach Paul Wellens for the 2025 Super League season.
Briers made six appearances for St Helens before switching to Warrington Wolves in April 1997.
He played more than 420 times for the Wolves and became their all-time leading points scorer with 2,586 points.
Briers said: “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.
"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."
Wellens added: “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.
"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."
Lee Briers will join St Helens' first-team coaching staff on a two-year contract.
St Helens-born Briers, 46, came through the ranks of the Saint's academy before making his debut for the club in 1997.
The England men's assistant coach has spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach of the Brisbane Broncos in Australia.
He will join up with St Helens head coach Paul Wellens for the 2025 Super League season.
Briers made six appearances for St Helens before switching to Warrington Wolves in April 1997.
He played more than 420 times for the Wolves and became their all-time leading points scorer with 2,586 points.
Briers said: “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.
"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."
Wellens added: “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.
"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."
Post subject: Re: Lee Briers joins St Helens coaching staff
Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2024 4:28 pm
matt_wire
Club Coach
Joined: Apr 14 2005 Posts: 1781 Location: Great Sankey, Warrington.
Am I reading too much into the hometown comment and about playing elsewhere etc? Could be read as two fingers to the only other club he's truly associated with?
Post subject: Re: Lee Briers joins St Helens coaching staff
Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2024 5:41 pm
Deus Dat Incrementum
Player Coach
Joined: May 24 2009 Posts: 862
On the radio 5 RL podcast earlier in the year Briers made no secret of his ambition to be head Coach. Straight away that puts pressure on Wellens. Saints have a big rebuild over the next couple of years. So Dodd leaves at the end of this season and unless I have missed it I have not seen them sign another halfback. Lomax is now 34 and looks like he has been playing injured for the last couple of years. Walmsley will be 35 part way through next year. Kyle Feldt is no spring chicken. Saints still have some real quality and some good youngsters (Delaney is very good) but unless they have some brilliant wingers, Halves, Hookers and Props coming through we might see them drift like Leeds for the last 6/7 years
So even if Briers takes over from Wellens at some point he will have a big job on his hands.
Post subject: Re: Lee Briers joins St Helens coaching staff
Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2024 11:21 am
Wires71
Player Coach
Joined: Jun 25 2006 Posts: 14132 Location: Forum21
matt_wire wrote:Am I reading too much into the hometown comment and about playing elsewhere etc? Could be read as two fingers to the only other club he's truly associated with?
He's all over the place with his comments, I wouldn't read too much into it.
Lee Briers on Leaving Wigan 2 years ago “I keep catching myself thinking – I’m a St Helens lad and I worked at Warrington for 25 years, but this is the place that has genuinely grabbed me without a shadow or a doubt. This place is something special and I’ll hold this dear to my heart.”
Post subject: Re: Lee Briers joins St Helens coaching staff
Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2024 11:49 am
Alffi_7
International Star
Joined: Apr 09 2015 Posts: 2981
Deus Dat Incrementum wrote:On the radio 5 RL podcast earlier in the year Briers made no secret of his ambition to be head Coach. Straight away that puts pressure on Wellens. Saints have a big rebuild over the next couple of years. So Dodd leaves at the end of this season and unless I have missed it I have not seen them sign another halfback. Lomax is now 34 and looks like he has been playing injured for the last couple of years. Walmsley will be 35 part way through next year. Kyle Feldt is no spring chicken. Saints still have some real quality and some good youngsters (Delaney is very good) but unless they have some brilliant wingers, Halves, Hookers and Props coming through we might see them drift like Leeds for the last 6/7 years
So even if Briers takes over from Wellens at some point he will have a big job on his hands.
Welsby likely to be playing in the halves next year with Tristan Sailor at full back.
Wires71 wrote:He's all over the place with his comments, I wouldn't read too much into it.
Lee Briers on Leaving Wigan 2 years ago “I keep catching myself thinking – I’m a St Helens lad and I worked at Warrington for 25 years, but this is the place that has genuinely grabbed me without a shadow or a doubt. This place is something special and I’ll hold this dear to my heart.”
Agreed. Seems to be a bit bitter about how it ended at Warrington but ultimately he failed here as an assistant. The team performances under Price, CC final aside, were simply not good enough and he was a big part of that.
Whilst he is, undoubtedly, a legend as a player for what he has done for us, the club have done a lot for him and his family also by giving him a 25 year career, he needs to remember that. It's difficult to actually judge whether he is a good coach or not. Wigan probably would have won what they won what they won when he was there if Duckie was assistant. He had a good first year with the Broncos but they bottled the final and have been absolutely crap this year.
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