Former NRL player pursues intruders wearing just his undies

A former National Rugby League player has described how he confronted masked intruders in the middle of the night before chasing them off - wearing just his underwear.

Ex-Broncos winger David Mead has shared CCTV footage on social media of the break-in about 2am on Tuesday in the family's Brisbane home.

He told Today this morning he, his wife Taneal and their two children, aged 10 and 6, were asleep when they were woken by strange sounds.

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"Instincts took over and I just reacted ... I hit the pot plant, got up and then ran around the corner.

"I got outside and then I hear this car on the left-hand side take off, so I'd assumed they were there. I sprinted around and then the second car takes off behind them.

"So that's when I kind of realised the house had been broken into properly. And then the adrenaline started to come down."

The footage shows two masked intruders examining the house before opening the front door.

The pair were able to unlock the front door through a slat window.

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But the would-be criminals made a dash for it when they heard Mead, 37, running to the door.

The former NRL player urged young people to stay clear of joining criminal gangs.

"You might look good in front of your mates, you think you're climbing the ranks, but if you apply yourself in sport, education, or you know, some form of business, you've already got a good set of skills."

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