Jerry Brien

{{short description|Australian RL coach and former rugby league footballer}}

{{Infobox rugby league biography

|name = Jerry Brien

|fullname = Jerome Albert Brien

|image = File:Jerry_brien_1929.jpg

|caption = Jerry Brien. 1929 St.George First Grade

|birth_date = 8 December 1904

|birth_place = Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia

|death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|1981|9|11|1904|12|8}}

|height =

|weight =

|position = {{rlp|HB}}

|club1 = Western Suburbs

|year1start = 1923

|year1end = 28

|appearances1 = 39

|tries1 = 8

|goals1 = 1

|fieldgoals1 = 0

|points1 = 26

|club2 = St. George

|year2start = 1929

|year2end =

|appearances2 = 4

|tries2 = 0

|goals2 = 0

|fieldgoals2 = 0

|points2 = 0

|retired = yes

|teamA = {{nowrap|New South Wales}}

|yearAstart = 1925

|yearAend = 28

|appearancesA = 3

|triesA = 0

|goalsA = 0

|fieldgoalsA = 0

|pointsA = 0

|teamB = NSW City

|yearBstart = 1928

|yearBend =

|appearancesB = 1

|triesB = 0

|goalsB = 0

|fieldgoalsB = 0

|pointsB = 0

|teamC = Metropolis

|yearCstart = 1927

|yearCend =

|appearancesC = 2

|triesC = 0

|goalsC = 1

|fieldgoalsC = 0

|pointsC = 2

|coachteam1 = Western Suburbs

|coachyear1start = 1937

|coachyear1end =

|coachgames1 = 8

|coachwins1 = 3

|coachdraws1 = 0

|coachlosses1 = 5

|coachteam2 = {{nowrap|Canterbury-Bankstown}}

|coachyear2start = 1939

|coachyear2end =

|coachgames2 = 16

|coachwins2 = 11

|coachdraws2 = 0

|coachlosses2 = 5

|coachteam3 = {{nowrap|Canterbury-Bankstown}}

|coachyear3start = 1942

|coachyear3end =

|coachgames3 = 16

|coachwins3 = 11

|coachdraws3 = 0

|coachlosses3 = 5

| coachteamA = New South Wales

| coachyearAstart = 1947

| coachyearAend =

| coachgamesA = 0

| coachwinsA = 0

| coachdrawsA = 0

| coachlossesA = 0

|source = [http://www.yesterdayshero.com.au/PlayerProfile.aspx?fname=PlayerProfile.aspx&QStr=1263 Yesterday's Hero][http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/coaches/Jerry_Brien/summary.html RLP]

}}

Jerry Brien was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach. He played for Western Suburbs, St. George and for the New South Wales Rugby League team. He also coached the Canterbury-Bankstown club and Western Suburbs.

Playing career

In 1925, Brien was chosen to play for New South Wales although he was only playing for the Western Suburbs reserve grade team,{{cite web|title=Jerry Brien|url=http://www.yesterdayshero.com.au/PlayerProfile.aspx?fname=PlayerProfile.aspx&QStr=1263|access-date=21 September 2010| publisher=yesterday's hero}} and had played just a handful of first grade games since his debut in 1923.

Brien represented NSW again in 1928, and was selected to represent Australia in the second test against England, but an injury suffered playing for Wests stopped him from making his international debut.{{cite book| last1=Whiticker|first1=Alan|last2=Hudson|first2=Glen|title=The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players|year=2007|publisher=Gary Allen Pty Ltd|location=Wetherill Park, New South Wales|isbn=978-1-877082-93-1|pages=53}}

After six seasons with Western Suburbs, Brien joined St. George for 4 games in 1929.

Coaching career

After his retirement as a player, Brien began coaching, including stints with South Grafton in 1932{{cite news|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|title=Football Rugby League|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16853608?searchTerm=jerry+brien|access-date=22 September 2010|date=6 April 1932}} & Cowra in 1933.{{cite news|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|title=Rugby League|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16971299?searchTerm=jerry+brien|access-date=22 September 2010|date=15 April 1933}} In 1937, Brien returned to coach Western Suburbs for the eight games of the shortened season where they finished second last. In 1939, he took over as coach at Canterbury-Bankstown for a season, and returned to be at the helm when they won their second premiership in 1942.{{cite web|title=Jerry Brien|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/coaches/Jerry_Brien/summary.html|access-date=21 September 2010| publisher=Rugby League Project}}

By 1947, Brien was NSW coach and one of their selectors.{{cite news|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|title=State League Team Goes North To-day|author=Tom Goodman|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18035770?searchTerm=jerry+brien|access-date=22 September 2010|date=18 July 1947}} Later, he became an Australian selector, but was dropped as a NSW selector in March 1951, making him ineligible to fill the national role.{{cite news|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|title=League Drops State Selector|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18203716|access-date=21 September 2010|date=13 March 1951}}