Were you watching Brian Noble?

[Fairleigh Good!]

Lee Briers name just got stamped over Kevin Sinfield's name for the trip to New Zealand and Australia on that performance surely.

He controlled the game superbly from the first minute to the last and in that form he has everything needed for the international level. His organisation and defense was perfect, his passing clever and his running incisive. His kicking game was absolutely deadly, pinning Leeds back in their own half with some ridiculously accurate kicking. He also had the coolness of mind under pressure to set up the Westwood try with a grubber early in the count, and to keep his nerve for the two high pressure drop goals.

A stellar performance in a season full of them from Briers.

Surely he only has Leon Pryce to compete with now for the 6 shirt for GB. If Iestyn Harris, Paul Deacon or Kevin Sinfield get on that plane I will be despondant and Noble should be sectioned.

Got to be 6. Briers, 7. Long, 13 Cooke with Pryce and either Burrow or McGuire from the bench for me. Briers deserves his shot, if Noble overlooks him for Monday's squad it will be criminal.

 

[douglasallen91]

i don't see briers getting picked, noble will stay to the tried and failed

 

[Sam_the_man]

What game are you talking about?

Whats happened to the young 6 that was being talked of as the new Paul Schofield.....i think his name is Danny Mcguirer???

 

[douglasallen91]

macguire basically only supports, he can't kick

 

[JasonE]

In another thread i asked who would be a likely GB skiper with the withdrawal of Sculthorpe, well if Briers makes the squad he should be made captain for a few reasons
1. Peacock is rubbish, in poor form and has no leadership skills whatsoever.
2. Briers knows how to lead a team around the park and can be an inspirational player.
3. Lack of other leaders.

 

[JasonE]

Whats happened to the young 6 that was being talked of as the new Paul Schofield.....i think his name is Danny Mcguirer???

he has had a bad run of injuries

 

[S.S.T.I.D]

Lee Briers name just got stamped over Kevin Sinfield's name for the trip to New Zealand and Australia on that performance surely.

He controlled the game superbly from the first minute to the last and in that form he has everything needed for the international level. His organisation and defense was perfect, his passing clever and his running incisive. His kicking game was absolutely deadly, pinning Leeds back in their own half with some ridiculously accurate kicking. He also had the coolness of mind under pressure to set up the Westwood try with a grubber early in the count, and to keep his nerve for the two high pressure drop goals.

A stellar performance in a season full of them from Briers.

Surely he only has Leon Pryce to compete with now for the 6 shirt for GB. If Iestyn Harris, Paul Deacon or Kevin Sinfield get on that plane I will be despondant and Noble should be sectioned.

Got to be 6. Briers, 7. Long, 13 Cooke with Pryce and either Burrow or McGuire from the bench for me. Briers deserves his shot, if Noble overlooks him for Monday's squad it will be criminal.

Without seeing the game (hopefully I'll get to see a replay later in the week) I'd be all for that as well. Eventhough I'm an Aussie, I'll be going for GB and I hope they try something different. Harris is average, Sinfield and Deacon have tried and failed at that level. Surely Briers is worth a shot. If GB are to be in with a chance they need a WC kicking game and Briers offers that. GB will struggle again if the sole kicking responsibilites are with Long.

 

[JasonE]

Got to be 6. Briers, 7. Long, 13 Cooke with Pryce and either Burrow or McGuire from the bench for me. Briers deserves his shot, if Noble overlooks him for Monday's squad it will be criminal.

Hasn't Cooke got a court case coming up soon which will probably make him unavailable for the tour ?

 

[East Coast Tiger]

I've wanted Briers to play for GB for years but every year he gets overlooked. I don't even bother picking him in my teams anymore because I know he's no chance. Maybe this year is it. GB desperately needs a good kicking game this year and they probably won't get it with Long, Pryce or McGuire in the key positions. As for Cooke, he should be in the side but I have read elsewhere that this court case could rule him out of touring. It would be a terrible blow if they lose him as well.

 

[buccaneer]

Briers has 1 small problem, he hides in games that aren't quite going his way. Briers had a good game last night, but he's also had other good games this season, followed by shocking games in the following weeks. McRea summed it up last night, if you're going to pick a GB team on 1 game, then he's in, but let's see how he goes in the next week or 2.
He needs to do it against Saints or Hull, don't recall too many shouting for his call up after Warrington were beaten by a flu stricken Saints team last week.

Can he do it against Australia? not a chance, for me.

Leeds are a spent force, living on the back of the last few years form. Teams no longer fear them.

 

[terracesider]

We've desperately needed a good kicking game for years, ECT but, like you, I don't think we'll get it. The half backs will probably be Long, Pryce, and Harris or Deacon. Maybe even Orr if he's been nice enough to the boss. :lol:

 

[bartman]

I think Briers might have gotten himself a plane ticket, but only in the 25-man squad, not straight into the starting line-up.

Hard to see which way Noble will go... I can see him picking anyone else at 7 except Long to start with. But there'll be a new 9, the 13 jersey is also up for grabs, and that might go some way to determine who he slots into 6?

 

[Scubby]

he has had a bad run of injuries

Maguire will be the No.6 for the Tri-Series. The guy scores tries for fun. He has been out for a while with shin splints and has only returned for Leeds' last two fixtures - yet managed to score tries in both games.

He is the best support player in the British game - a great finisher - something GB have been missing badly over the recent past. His distribution and kicking is also underated IMO.

He will benefit from the 3 weeks rest that resulted from Leeds losing out in the 1st play-off game.

Briers should definately be in the 25-man squad. This will give GB the option to mix-up the halves and put pressure on Maguire, Long and Pryce. Too often we have stuck with the same 17 through thick and thin and have had no options to alter our style of play. Briers certainly gives the squad that option.

 

[The Observer]

Can McGuire run a backline like a test class 6 and put his players through gaps against Aus/NZ? IMO he's best off the bench, running at fullback as a support player

 

[Pistol]

The question of whether Maguire can start at 6 will be answered if the half they choose can bond well together. GB have lacked a decent kicking game and with (if the current selection formula goes along the same pattern) Long looking likely to be named at 7, the GB selectors and Noble should slot someone in there that can take some pressure off Long's kicking game.

Briers may be the answer but if they dont go with him, I would like to see either Sinfield or Richard Horne get a crack

 

[JasonE]

Long and McGuire combined superbly in the June test match, it remains to be seen how Briers and Long would go together, i'm not sure they would compliment each other.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

Long and McGuire could work well together but kicking is still a major concern, especially when Australia will have three good kicking options. I hope they bring Briers but I'd also like to see him play for Wales in the qualifiers so I'm in two minds about whether I'd like to see him play for GB. Hopefully he can play for GB and Wales will still win without him.

 

[bartman]

With 25 blokes, and the halves combination the sticking point, Noble will probably pick quite a few options in his squad, so he can chop and change if things don't work. Whether that's the best thing for the squad long term is another matter, chopping and changing can make it harder for a combination to gel.

So out of 25 names I'd expect six of them to be halves and stand offs?
Say Long, Macguire, Deacon, Horne, Briers, and... I guess Pryce (could be used in other positions), with Sinfield and Cooke perhaps missing out in favour of second rower style players.
* Oh yeah, forgot about Burrow, they might take him as a 6th half and class Pryce as a three-quarter. *

Will probably pick three hookering options as well - out of Newton, Alker, Diskin and Roby?