Room 101: Chris Briers – Fylde centre

1. Gym Monkeys
There are too many robots trying to pass off as rugby players nowadays. I’ve played at a number of clubs where players have made a living out of being fit and strong and who are past masters at following orders. Basically they are automatons who’ve been built in the gym and don’t possess a rugby brain of their own. I’m very much an advocate of players doing what they think is the best option at the time on the rugby pitch rather than follow a pre-prescribed plan. Too often the emphasis from coaches is on players not making mistakes rather than letting them play their natural game. It was like that when I played for Sale Jets and at Doncaster. Playing at Fylde is like a breath of fresh air because we are allowed to think for ourselves.
TRP verdict:  Why else are they called ‘dumb bells’? You’re in!
2. Part-Time philosophers
So many people think they are qualified to be philosophers, particularly Strength & Conditioning coaches, and that really winds me up. You see all these words of wisdom on Facebook and Twitter about how you should do, this, that and the other to make your life amazing, with philosophical sayings and quotes about not giving up, work hard to get your reward etc thrown in for good measure. Tell me…when did these people become qualified to express such thoughts? I wouldn’t put my trust in someone to do surgery on my leg if they didn’t have the necessary letters after their name, so why should philosophy or ‘Life Coaching’ be any different?
TRP verdict:  Don’t make a bad day make you feel like you have a bad life. (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself). You’re in again!
3. Mass-produced curry
I like spicy food such as curry or chilli but not the stuff they dish out after games or training. Generally this is mass-produced and tastes awful. It usually comes with rice that has been overcooked by about an hour and is all stuck together. I normally get straight on the Guinness because you get more nutrition in that! At Fylde, the food is a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got a guy in the kitchen from the Far East and when he sticks to what he knows – like sweet’n’sour pork, which was cracking the other week – it is well worth hanging around for. But if he turns out mass produced curry, I’m off home in a flash. The best food I can remember was at Rosslyn Park last year when we had BBQ leftovers.
TRP verdict:  Rugby player versus Food. Food wins. You’re out!