Matt Peet made up to take hometown club Wigan to Challenge Cup final

Wigan coach Matt Peet says he is over the moon that he will be taking his hometown club to a major final at the first time of asking.

The 38-year-old has made a tremendous start to life as a head coach. He guided them to a 20-18 win over rivals St Helens in the Challenge Cup semi-finals at Elland Road on Saturday.

The Warriors will meet Huddersfield in the final at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 28.

Peet said: “There are games where you are wondering if the lads are going to turn up when they should win but today I just knew the prize at the end of it was huge.

“I’ve got a lot of trust in the group. There were times where both teams were dominant and it’s credit to the resilience within the group and trust they have in one another.”

Matt Peet says St Helens are still the benchmark

Peet paid tribute to St Helens, who are the current Super League champions and Challenge Cup holders.

He said: “You’ve got to judge yourself again the best team and Saints are the best team, so to have a good first half against them means more.

“They are still the benchmark. It’s going to take years to learn from the benchmark – this game doesn’t change that.

“I’m going to take this in because getting to a final was a big goal for me personally.

“I want us to get like Saints who are expected to be there and anything else is seen as failure but you can only do that one game at a time. It’s only a step but it gives us a taste for it.”

Wigan will now prepare for their 33rd Challenge Cup final, seeking a 20th victory.

PODCAST: Kallum Watkins on playing in the pack, time in NRL & World Cup ambitions