Wigan Warriors: Tommy Leuluai full of praise for new coach Matt Peet

Wigan captain Tommy Leuluai has hailed the impact that new head coach Matt Peet has had on the club so far, saying he has brought the team closer together.

Peet was announced as Wigan’s new head coach back in October, taking over from Adrian Lam who left the club at the end of the season after three years.

Wigan have adopted a ‘team first’ mentality over pre-season and Leuluai believes Peet’s methods are working well.

He said: “We’ve gone back to some of the things in the past that have worked for us and Matt has brought some new things in.

“He’s been very good, I can’t fault him. Obviously he’s been involved with the club for a long time and he knows what the club is about. He’s brought us together as a group, he’s done a fantastic job so far.

“He’s a year older than me but I’ve played against most of the coaches in the Super League.”

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Meanwhile, Leuluai says he is not expecting to play every week this year as he comes towards the back end of his career.

The former New Zealand international is Super League’s oldest player this season, taking over from the recently retired Kevin Brown.

Leuluai thought about retiring after missing the final two months of last season with a hamstring injury but he regained full fitness. He isn’t making a decision on his future past this season just yet.

He said: “I don’t know yet, I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing. We’ll see.

“I’m not silly, I know that I’m coming towards the end now and I’m comfortable with that. I just enjoy being part of a good group and chasing silverware.

“I had to weigh up a few things. The main one was whether I would recover well enough from my hamstring and I’ve done that.

“I’ve been managed but the hamstring is 100 per cent and, with the coaching staff coming in and the way the club is going and the way we finished last year, I just felt it wasn’t the right time to check out.

“The club felt that too so we decided to go again.”

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