Different Strokes …
Two St Helens born and bred RL players epitomised the fine line between champions and also-rans on Saturday.
The two incidents occurred within a couple of minutes of each other during Saints come-from-behind Challenge Cup quarter final win.
A decade ago Lee Briers was an up and coming half back with his home town club, playing in the deep shadow of Bobbie Goulding. When Goulding was suspended he stepped into the limelight, played six games scored 52 points and helped his team reach Wembley.
But he never set foot on the Wembley turf in Saints colours. Goulding waltzed back into the team and inspired a Saints win. Briers seeing the writing on the wall opted to move-on and eventually joined the Wolves.
Also watching from the Wembley stands with his school mates was a certain Paul Wellens.
Ten years on the pair were locked in tense combat as Saints fought for their Challenge Cup lives.
With his team leading 14-12 and pressing on the Saints line Briers was unable to reel-in a tired pass in front of the Saints’ posts. The scrum relieved a 5-minute Wolves siege.
Two plays later Wellens was linking with the attack in midfield and heading into the oblivion of a two-man bear-hug tackle. But he didn’t go easy.
Determination is the this that ultimately defines the champion. A fierce self belief and a determination not to go down cheaply.
Wellens fought off Paul Rauhihi’s grapple and spun out of the grasp of Andy Bracek, just enough to slip the ball free to the supporting Keiron Cunningham.
KC’s inside ball sent Jon Wilkin hurtling through the line, with Sean Long and Lee Gilmour linking to finish the move with a try and (Wellens) goal, That score took all the steam out of the Warrington effort and effectively killed the game at 18-14 on the hour.
Briers is a good player. Wellens is a great player. It’s hard to articulate the difference … but you know it when you see it.
