Lee Briers: International rugby league needs a GB team
Warrington Wolves stand-off Lee Briers is convinced that the only way that British international rugby league is going to improve is bring back a Great Britain team.
The Wales half-back, who has never regretted choosing the men in red over his birth nation of England, feels that the policy of splitting the Home Nations is not allowing the game in this country to exploit the full range of talent available.
“We definitely need to bring GB back,” Briers told Rugby League World magazine.
“Because there are going to be some Welsh kids like the Evans twins at Warrington who re unbelievable talents who have chosen England because they want to play in bigger games for England.
“You can’t blame them for that. I can have a bit of banter and give them some stick in jest, but at the end of the day they want to play against the best and they can only do that with England at the moment.
“If we are serious about improving our international game then surely we have to keep our four home nations apart and then come together as Great Britain.
“That’s how it will get stronger.”
All being well, Briers, who qualifies for them through his grandmother, will line up for the Welsh against the best rugby league has to offer in the Autumn, when Wales will face Australia, New Zealand and England in the Four Nations.
The Warrington star is looking forward to it, and has no regrets about choosing Wales and sticking to them, unlike a host of other players who have swapped nationality when it suited them with little regard for the country that they had been representing.
“I have never regretted opting for Wales over England,” he asserted
“I never once thought that I should have tried for England. I am a big believer that once you choose your country then you stick to that with no regrets.
“We all have our own opinion and the loophole is is that the international system allows people to switch. You can’t blame players for doing it, but I’m not one for that.
“I think there should be more pride in your country and when you choose it, that’s the end of it.”
