‘Emotional’ Lee Briers promises to return ‘Entertainers’ tag to St Helens as return to boyhood club confirmed
Assistant coach Lee Briers pictured during the warm-up ahead of an England game
Lee Briers admits he is ’emotional’ to be returning to hometown club St Helens after a near 30-year absence: and insists he will help return ‘The Entertainers’ tag to the club in 2025.
Briers has completed a return to Super League and the Saints, after agreeing a two-year deal to become part of Paul Wellens’ coaching staff. It marks a full circle moment in Briers’ rugby league career, having left the club in 1997 for Warrington Wolves.
Since then, he has established a reputation as not only one of the most exciting players of his generation, but also one of the best up-and-coming coaches, too.
He helped transform Brisbane’s attack last season and has also established himself as a key part of the England staff under Shaun Wane. And now, he will be back at the Saints in 2025 – and he admitted it was a ‘surreal moment’ to be finally coming home.
“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,” he said. “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.
“Me and my family never left the town and for 27 or so years I’ve had to put up with being seen as kind of like the enemy, but now it’s just a surreal moment for me and my family – I can’t wait.
“My conversations with Wello [Paul Wellens] have been everything I thought they would be, in what is a fabulous leader. I’m so excited to work under him, learn from him, and add my bit to make the team where the team should be.”
And following an underwhelming 2024 campaign, Briers has promised he will do all he can to make the Saints one of Super League’s most eye-catching teams once again.
“To me, St Helens’ identity has always been Saints are ‘The Entertainers’ and there’s a bit of work to do. Paul will direct me on what I need to do and what he feels is right to do, I will also have bring my ideas and we will come up with a plan where we will have St Helens being ‘The Entertainers’ with the likes of the players we will have.
“I’m looking forward to working with the young players, they’ve been thrown in at the deep end through nobody’s fault, but next year those guys are players we know can come in and we can trust. Hopefully, I can add along to their journey.”
