A rivalry with respect: Peet and Wellens exchange classy words ahead of derby

It is a rivalry that dates back to 1895, and whilst there is a deep rivalry between Wigan and St Helens, there is also huge respect for one another.

That’s the view of Matt Peet and Paul Wellens, who are the head coaches of Wigan and St Helens respectively.

It’s that time of year again where Good Friday is upon us, and with that comes the traditional derby clash between the Warriors and Saints.

It will be the first time the Good Friday derby has taken place at the DW Stadium since 2019, with more than 23,000 tickets sold so far.

It has come a long way from the very first derby 128 years ago, where the two clubs played out a 0-0 draw in front of 3,000 people at Knowsley Road.

The Good Friday derby is not just a game of rugby league. It’s when everyone in both towns come together to watch the derby. This year has a little more meaning, with both coaches leading their hometown clubs.

“When you’ve got a Wiganer in charge of Wigan and a St Helens lad in charge of St Helens, it’s not just another two points,” Wellens said.

“We know the enormity of the game and how much it means to the people of the towns.

“There’s a lot of anticipation around this fixture. It’s really exciting for rugby league in general that we have this rivalry round. It means a lot to the supporters so we’re all super excited and looking forward to it.

“Everywhere you go people mention it. Funnily enough, me and Matty bumped into each other the other day in St Helens (at Pilkington Recs) and straight away people were coming up to Matty and myself talking about the game. You can tell there is an appetite for the fixture.”

Chill out a bit!

This is a week where you can’t escape the thought of gameday for longer than half an hour, according to Peet, who joked about his dad asking about the injury to his star player Jai Field.

Peet, with a smile on his face, said: “I try to avoid going certain places but sometimes I can’t because my mum and dad are the worst ones!

“The first thing my dad said to me last night is ‘how’s Jai Field doing? it’s going to be tough Friday isn’t it?’ so I just had to say ‘yeah dad, just chill out a bit!’.

“I’m sure Paul can resonate with that feeling when you are trying to get a break from it but your own family are feeling it as well.”

Real respect, ultra humble, homegrown

(L-R) Matt Peet, Bevan French, Tommy Makinson and Paul Wellens at the Rivals Round joint press conference | Photo: Paul Currie/SWpix

Those are just some of the words used to describe the derby by both Peet and Wellens.

The majority of the Wigan and Saints squads this Friday will have come through the academies at their respective clubs, who continue to produce a conveyer belt of talent for the game.

But amongst the rivalry and derby hype, there is one thing that stands clear: respect.

“I think the thing we do have within the rivalry is a real respect for each other as well,” Wellens added.

“We have huge respect for Wigan as a club and the way they go about their business and I think that is reciprocated so I think that it’s going to be a huge occasion and a respectful one at the same time.”

Peet echoed Wellens’ comments and paid their rivals the ultimate compliment ahead of the big game.

“This is one of those weeks that wherever you go you’ve just got to enjoy it,” Peet said.

“Like Paul says, the respect is huge. I’ve said for years that I like the way Saints have done success, its homegrown, the players are homegrown, ultra humble, respectful – I think James Roby and Tommy (Makinson) epitomise that and they look like low maintenance, high performance lads.

“They don’t rub your nose in it when they beat you and when they win so I’ve got a lot of respect for them.

“There are things that our past success has been built on that they do really well and we’ve got to build that up again.”

Wigan’s home clash with St Helens takes place at the DW Stadium on Good Friday at 3pm, live on Sky Sports.

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