Ryan Brierley out to help rugby league grow – after women’s football example

RYAN Brierley is bringing a welcome woman’s touch to Super League – a women’s football touch as it looks to boost its profile.

The Salford star enlisted the help of Manchester City’s Jess Park, of whom he is her agent, to announce his new contract.

Ryan Brierley (centre) hopes to help rugby league become bigger by leading teh way with his contract extension announcementSWPIX.COM

Impact of that was obviously felt as his club and the Rugby Football League have asked him for ideas and advice as the sport enters the IMG era.

And some of what he has talked about is helping the sport make more of a mark, which he is noticing after letting others pass it by.

Brierley said: “When I did my extension and Jess announced it, it was my idea. I rang Man City and Puma and they wanted to get involved.

“The media attention was brilliant. Then the club asked me how I did it and is trying to get me involved with other stuff.

“I did it to try and make the game look bigger, it wasn’t about me. I just wanted to show how it could be done, rather than just a picture of a player holding a shirt.

“I thought we could do more, that just looked bigger and better. There are way better players than me who get contract extensions and it doesn’t look as good.

“I’ve actually had a couple of people at the RFL reach out to me for ideas in terms of what the football girls do.

“When I first got involved in women’s football three years ago, rugby league was bigger. Now it’s totally flipped, it’s not even in the same conversation anymore.

“But when I see the way they do things – how they plan promotions and appearances. When I go to a women’s match, the crowd is full of young girls and women, so they’ve got their audience right.

“You need to make an attraction. Why is Salford Red Devils or why is rugby league attractive? If you can also make it look bigger than it is, everyone’s a winner.

“I did it just to make the game look bigger. Hopefully more people jump on the back of that.”

Brierley has given advice to both his club and the governing body after the success of his videoSWPIX.COM

Since Brierley’s extension was announced, St Helens followed suit by recruiting darts star Michael Smith to help announce Jack Welsby’s new deal.

And the 31-year-old hopes more of it can help propel rugby league to the next level of awareness.

“I wanted to set the trend,” he added. “Hopefully we can grab it as a game and really launch it into a different atmosphere.

“I can notice a new energy with the branding and the way they’re trying to make the game bigger. I was at Sky Sports the other week and the content there was brilliant.

“And it’s nice to see people getting out there, asking for opinions and trying to dig out ways of making things better, making its media better and making the players stars.

“The likes of Jai Field and Bevan French deserve to be turned into stars. I hope this continues.”