The announcement this morning by the Brisbane Broncos that assistant coach Lee Briers will return to the Super League as a coach for 2025 has raised speculation about his future plans.
Earlier this year, the former assistant for the Wisconsin Warriors turned down the head coaching position at Hull FC. John Cartwright, an assistant from Brisbane, eventually took over the position.
Lee Briers has been a very in-demand coach and news of his Super League return will have fans anxious to see if his attacking style that has transformed Brisbane will translate to his new club.
Brisbane, who too praised the attacking revolution he oversaw, issued a statement confirming his departure.
“Lee Briers, the assistant coach for the Broncos, has notified the team that he will be leaving for his native England at the end of the 2024 campaign.
The 46-year-old, who focuses on offensive strategy and player development, has been an important member of head coach Kev Walters’ coaching staff.
Within the Broncos’ statement, Lee Briers confirmed that his return home is based on a family decision and one that will also reunite him with his daughter.
We’ve assessed three of the Super League destinations that appear most likely for Lee Briers to take up upon his return.
The only Super League position that is now open is with the Huddersfield Giants, a side that is in desperate need of an offensive identity that Lee Briers might help them develop.
Even though Luke Robinson, the interim coach, has publicly declared his desire to become the permanent head coach, he has also stated that, should the club so desire, he would be content to continue as the new head coach’s assistant.
A team can only go so far under Robinson, even when the players have found their love and pride again in the shirt. With offensive players like Adam Clune, Jake Connor, and Tui Lolohea in the spine, Lee Briers might be able to have a field day and work wonders at the John Smiths Stadium.
Although the Leeds Rhinos position is not officially vacant, it is not officially confirmed as of 2025 as head coach Brad Arthur is only contracted to the end of the 2024 season. The Australian has stated that he plans to return to the NRL, but he has not stated when. However, the Rhinos have not committed to him for 2025, so the position at Headingley is unfilled. Arthur has previously stated that Ian Blease will continue to lead the search for a new head coach while the former Parramatta coach is in charge of the on-field activities.
Prior to the 2024 season, there were high hopes for Leeds Rhinos with their reformed spine looking set to be one of the best in Super League.That’s not quite clicked but the talents of the inidivuals are undeniable.
Lee Briers could be the man to unlock them and in particular Lachlan Miller could be an exciting prospect under Briers given the speedster’s raw ability. In that respect he is similar, albeit at numerous levels below, to Reece Walsh whom Briers is attributed for turning into an Origin full-back.
Whilst St Helens do have a permanent head coach in place right now, they do not have one contracted for 2025 with Paul Wellens off contract at the end of the season. The former Saints player has come under plenty of pressure of late with the team losing four in a row for the first time since 2016.
Given the huge status of a club like St Helens, it is very feasible that Lee Briers would return to take up the assistant role here, particularly given his admission that his return to Super League is motivated by family and not explicitly a head coaching role.
For all the criticism, one thing that Paul Wellens has done brilliantly during his time at St Helens is create and maintain a league-leading defence. Last year the Red Vee conceded just 13.55 points per game, marginally more than Wigan’s 13.33. In 2024, that defence has tightened up even more and concedes just 11.66 points per game, the best in Super League.
The Red Vee’s problem has been scoring points against the stronger teams; 170 of Saints’ 451 points (37.7%) came in three games against Castleford, Hull FC, and London. This means that the team averages just 18.7 points per game against other teams, far less than the 25+ point average that other elite teams like Wigan and Warrington have. With Lee Briers backing up Paul Wellens, and pairing one of the best attacking coaches in rugby league with one of the best defensive coaches in the sport, this pairing could be the key to halting the Wigan Warriors dynasty.
