I think we'll start well tomorrow night and possibly lead at half time, but during the second half we'll fade off, without Briers we often seem struggling for ideas. Without Monas on sunday we were even worse with ideas, we might not be as bad with Monas in the team but if Saints play like they can I can't see us winning this game.

What I do know as fact is that we're going to have a number of months without him and we will find out a lot about how much we really rely on him in the big games. I just hope he can come back for the business end of the year.

do we really rely on Briers in big games?

when was the last time this happened?

i would say were more reliant on Hodgson than anyone else these days.

Although I only saw the try highlights, I noticed that we scored last week from a Ratchford kick to the corner. And he is also capable of giving the ball a good hoof as well. He gained good ground on the last play against Hull, from what I saw. Together with Myler and Monas (field kicking) I would have thought we should be able to cover this aspect of the game. Whether or not Ratchford can cover the other 'half' requirements seems to be still up for debate. If it comes to tackling, I think I know who I would choose.

Lets not forget that Briers has had years to perfect his game. It would be exceptional to find a player that could simply walk into the team and play at his level from the start.

Mystic Sal more like Pessimystic

if briers is gonna be out for so long why are the club messing about? surly we deserve to know?

I don't know why they're keeping it quiet, the club don't seem to be saying anything at all about him. And it's all about opinions I suppose, i personally think we are a shadow of the team without briers out there. And I think most other people did until we beat hull. Note they got beat by Widnes the week after. Then we lost at KR. I hope to be proven wrong on Friday night though

Bum !

They've said he may need an operation and if that is the case it is a long term injury - potentially season ending. Because of this they are giving it time to settle by itself for a couple of weeks to see if it resolves that way. Not sure what else they can say...?

Shocking !

Pensionitis.

I'm a big fan of Ratchford but I don't think he is, or ever likely to be stand-off. Myler has had a very good start to the season but he still has come way to go to be the heartbeat of the team.

The player I'd really like to see get extended game team in the halves is O'Brien (alongside Briers) - I think out of all three he has the makings of a really good creative half-back.

As for Briers, sorry he is sill the most creative player we have by a country mile, and probably still the most creative in the league. The spontaneity and guile of the team still drops noticeably when he's not there.

I know we have to plan for life after him, and Myler, Ratchford & GOB are the future but every coach and team in the comp will be thanking their lucky stars the day he packs it in - and I for one am praying that day is a few months of yet at least.

The fleshy bit ( maximus glutimus) not the holey bit.

Players like Briers are just not being produced in youth rugby. Too much emphasis on size, speed and power now. Vision and a footballing brain are not given enough value.

Been told by one of the players tonight that Lee finds out on 22nd April.
If he needs an op, its basically career over.
He feels fine, but damage to discs in the neck is a bad, bad injury.

Here endeth the lesson.



Too many halves in our game, that are

auxilliary forwards - ie tackling machines (see Sculthorpe/Farrell as Stand-offs in Test matches a decade ago)
back-up merchants - always there to finish a move off (nowt wrong in that)
80 minute workaholics - you never saw Andy Greg doing any of THAT "nonsence"

I want a half to be a
one/two tackles ahead in the game, a la Langer/Johns
Knowing which 10 sq ft of pitch, his kick is going to land in
when a team play is "needed", not just doing it for the sake of it
have a definite rapport with his 2nd rowers (see Andy Greg/Mark Roberts as an example)

When Lee DOES retire (not any time soon

) he's gonna have big boots to fill

Absolutely spot on. John Woods, Tony Myler, Andy Greg, Wally Lewis, Alfie Langer (amongst others) were never known as workaholics, but they could unlock any defence with a drop of a shoulder ............. and dear god it was beautiful to watch.

Spoke to Moz on Friday and he said Briers finds out in 5 or 6 weeks. Moz is back in a month and if Lee needs an operation then it's season over.

Not quite true, but we should be worried.

My lads team has some excellent teens coming through, many of whom have been to Wires service area training ...... the only ones who made it to scholarship were the, shall we say 'solid' ones, who hit like a truck.

There are two brilliant ball playing thinkers in the Briers mould who Wire have dismissed - guess what? They've both been picked up immediately by other SL teams who are clearly more willing to let them grow (they're under 16) to their full size before deciding if they are physically up to the game.

You can build up muscles on a genius, but it doesn't work the other way 'round!

Wonder how O'Brien has made it to the first team?

If this is the end, I'll be more gutted for Briers than our team. He deserves to go out on the field rather than being told it's over by a consultant. However, as we'll all agree, his long term health is the most important thing. He's got 2 kids and another 50 odd years of life to get through, in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't really matter if he can't play RL again.

Hope all the above is irrelevant naturally and that he comes back ready for one last go round.

This and although he seemed quiite chipper on Friday night, bobbing on with bottled water, kicking tees and presumably 'pearls of wisdom', he desreves to go out on a high

Erm about why he is going to theatre I think it is a knee injury

eh

I hate those Kneeling theatres. Not as bad as the hand standing pubs though !