Lee Briers: GB Material?

It's been one of the longest running debates in recent times. Ever since Warrington half-back Lee Briers burst onto the scene at Wilderspool in 1997, people have proclaimed him as the answer to Great Britain's half-back dilemma.


The predicted plethora of Lions caps however, have failed to materialise. So far the Wolves captain has just one Great Britain cap to his name and will be hoping to avoid another snub as coach Brian Noble names his Tri-Nations side on Monday.

After single-handedly leading Warrington past Leeds Rhinos in Friday night's Elimination quarter final at Headingley, the calls for him to board the plane to Sydney will only increase in volume. The Welsh captain had a hand in all three Wolves tries and kicked the vital field goals in the dying minutes to snatch victory.

So why does Briers consistently get overlooked? Well despite his genuis with the ball, he is also prone to moments of madness. He is unarguably Rugby League's answer to Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hyde.
His temperment has always been a cause for concern, or ammusement depending on who you support and many claim that all too frequent acts of petulance towards referee's, supporters, the opposition and even teammates will be leathally exposed by the class and calmness of the Australians.

A lack of big-game experience is also often cited. Having never played in either a Grand Final or Challenge Cup Final, it's is questionable if he has the big match nerve. Friday's game did go someway to aiding his cause but the doubts will no doubt circulate as they have done around players such as Malcolm Alker, another player making strong claims for a test jersey.

But are these concerns enough to keep a player of such ability at home this November? In 2000, Briers showed that he can mix it with the best, leading Wales against Australia in the World Cup semi-final. The Welsh almost pulled off the biggest upset in the games history before the class of Lockyer, Johns and Co eventually got the Roos home and to an eventual World Cup Final victory.

If Briers' name isn't on Noble's notpad come Monday, some will despair, some won't bat an eyelid but in my view, calling up Briers is a gamble worth taking.
After dissmal performances last year, Great Britain have little to lose. Various half-back combinations have tried and failed miserably in the past and if Noble continues with the same partnerships that let him down spectacuarly in 2005 and 2004 then questions need to be asked. The likes of Sean Long and Keiron Cunningham have shown that good club form doesn't always translate into test series winning performances and these players have failed to take the chances given to them.
Should Briers start in Australia and New Zealand? Maybe not. Should he be on the flight? Most definatly.