Matty who?
Wigan Warriors have always promoted from within, boasting a conveyor belt of young talent envied across the British game.
Yet when the move was made last October to name Matty Peet as the famous rugby league club’s new head coach, a few eyebrows were raised as to what that said about their ambitions.
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The answer has been more emphatic than even Wigan could have envisaged.
After winning the Betfred Challenge Cup in May, Peet is now within 80 minutes of guiding his side back to the Super League Grand Final too.
“We knew there would be some eyebrows raised when we announced him,” admitted Wigan’s executive director and club legend Kris Radlinski back in February.
“But we back our judgement and what we have seen over many years.”
Much like his mentor Shaun Wane, the 38-year old Peet has come through the Wigan ranks, and has been part of the Cherry and White furniture for more than 13 years, from academy to first team.
That Warriors academy won six of the seven Grand Finals they played in, and Peet now sees only Leeds Rhinos standing between the senior side and another Grand Final in his first season at the helm.
“Salford and Leeds are probably the two form teams, it’s the Leeds that we were expecting at the start of the year,” he says.
“Their squad is up there with anything in Super League.
“It’s taken them a while to find their form but now they have done that they are very dangerous. They are buying into the style and philosophies that Rohan (Smith) has brought over.”
Much of the work Peet has done and many of the changes he has implemented this year, have been behind the scenes. With a big emphasis on culture, he has set about implementing values of honesty, trust and hard work, and making the club a place where players feel happy. He has done this through building bonds and connections, valuing his personal relationships as highly as anything he sees his players do for the team on the field.
“The beliefs that Matty has come in and pushed have created a really nice environment,” says full-back Jai Field, who credits Peet for bringing out his career-best form.
The Australian has been shortlisted for the prestigious Steve Prescott Man Of Steel Award, contributing 24 tries and 20 assists this season, form that has also helped his coach earn a nomination for Coach of the Year.
“When you are happy off the field you are going to perform your best and that is showing at the moment,” he says.
Every head coach needs the support of a good right-hand man, and the unassuming Peet will admit to his good fortune at being able to call upon two of the very best.
Lee Briers has been one of the stories of the season, picked up from the rugby league scrapheap last season when dumped by his lifelong club Warrington, the Wolves legend has revitalised the Warriors attack and earned his own dream move to coach in the NRL next season.
Briers says Wigan, and Peet in particular have helped give him his “sparkle” back.
“Culture is live,” he says. “Every day. Being good people, respectful, working hard and being confident so that your opinion matters.”
Club legend Sean O’Loughlin completes the coaching trinity, their former captain won four Grand Finals with the Warriors between 2010 and 2018.
On the pitch, Peet’s relaxed, deep-thinking manner has given star men Field and Bevan French the license to thrill.
Their partnership has been devastating, and perhaps the biggest reason many believe this Wigan side can go all the way and deny their bitter rivals St Helens from making history with a fourth successive Old Trafford triumph.
That would also be the dream farewell for Briers before his Australian adventure, but first they have to beat a Rhinos side who hammered them at Headingley in July.
Wigan will be especially wary of their former full-back Zak Hardaker, sacked by the club as part of Peet’s culture drive, and taken back by former club Leeds with whom he is now thriving once more.
The Rhinos are expecting their biggest away following of the season for the blockbusting game that will end one side’s season, and propel the other to the Grand Final. And Peet is wary of that turning the fixture at the DW Stadium into an away game, unless the Warriors fans fight fire with fire.
“A few years ago when Salford came here for a semi-final their fans turned it into a home game for them but I have a feeling our fans won’t let that happen this week,” he says.
“If it comes down to that last second win I think the fans can make all the difference.
“We come in confident, as do Leeds. So it should be a fantastic game.”
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