Briers: Preparation is key to semi-final joy (From Warrington Guardian)
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Warrington Wolves half back Lee Briers says preparation is key to semi-final joy
2:08pm Friday 13th July 2012 in Wolves news By Mike Parsons
Lee Briers and Ryan Atkins celebrate the Challenge Cup semi final success of 2010. Picture by Mike Boden
LANCE Todd Trophy winner Lee Briers has revealed his key ingredients to coming out on top in a Challenge Cup semi final.
The stalwart half back, man of the match when Wolves last lifted the cup against Leeds Rhinos at Wembley in 2010, has played in six semi finals and is looking to rack up win number four in Sunday’s repeat of the 2009 final.
“First of all you’ve got to prepare well,” said the club’s longest serving player and all-time record points scorer, whose first semi final win came as a rookie with St Helens in 1997.
“Even though I’ve prepared well for all six of my previous semi finals, there was something different in the last two.
“We’ve gone into them with confidence, with a great plan and we’ve had that bit of luck that you need too.
“I remember when we played Bradford at Huddersfield in 2001. Tawera Nikau scored under the posts and the officials didn’t go to the video referee.
“That probably would have won us the game but unfortunately the decision didn’t go our way, Bradford got all the luck and went on to the final.
“The team’s also got to turn up and play well on the day.
“You’ve got to go through your routines of what makes you play well, what makes you tick.
“There’ll be no extra motivation needed. It’s about going out there and playing the game, not the occasion. If we do that, we shouldn’t be far off.”
And Briers, who has featured in each round of the cup this season, believes the fans have their part to play too.
“Our last two semi finals were at Widnes, the first one against Wigan,” he said. “We outnumbered the Wigan fans probably two or three to one. And then the following year against Catalan it was all Warrington.
“To run out to a sea of primrose and blue makes a hell of a difference.
“The noise they make is something special and that’s what we’re going to need against Huddersfield this week.”
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