Wigan Warriors boss Matt Peet on League Leaders’ Shield hopes, ‘healthy’ injury report and Leeds Rhinos win
From left to right: Abbas Miski, Matt Peet and Liam Byrne of Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors coach Matt Peet met with the media following their impressive 38-0 win over Leeds Rhinos on Friday night, discussing several talking points.
The Warriors ran in seven tries in what was a clinical and ruthless display against the Rhinos, with Peet’s side being in a dominant fashion from start to finish.
The result sees Wigan remain in pole position for the League Leaders’ Shield, with Peet’s side sitting two points clear of second-placed Hull Kingston Rovers with just one game remaining, which is against Salford Red Devils at home on Thursday.
Here’s everything Peet said in his post-match press conference at the Brick Community Stadium…
Overall thoughts
“I am pleased. I thought we took some good lessons out of the Hull KR game and the lads had a few areas that they wanted to be better at this week and, without going into too much detail, those improvements got us on the front foot at the start of the game.
“As I’ve mentioned, everyone knows we’ve got the ability to post points when we get ourselves in good field position and so it proved. I don’t think it was a case of Leeds coming and rolling over, I thought they were quite spirited actually but I thought we did a lot of things really well and built pressure.”
What impresses you more, the points scored or the nil?
“Equal measure, really. Quite often as a coach you say defence and rightly so because your defence signifies everything you want to be about in terms of your character and team spirit but I think it was nice to see us play some good rugby, move the ball and get it to where we want it to be and play with some bravery and courage with the ball: that’s when we are at our best.”
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The spine looked back to their best tonight…
“There’s more in them, certainly, but I thought 38 points scored against a good defensive team, you’ve got to be pleased. It’s not just those lads in isolation, it’s their flow in and around the other players. Kaide Ellis, the nines, the front-rowers, the full team really. I think you’ve seen us build that fluidity with the ball.”
Abbas Miski seems to be in a good run of form since he came back from his knee injury…
“I think he’s been pretty consistent. The last few weeks he has played well and it’s all part of the combinations around him but he’s a very well-rounded player is Abbas. I think that freshen up and the way he is looking after his body is helping him play at the level he is.”
Luke Thompson didn’t come back on, was that just to give over guys some more minutes? Any injuries or everyone pull through okay?
“Yeah, the same with Kaide Ellis, too. I think we’re healthy so far from the first report. There’s nothing standout, there’s always the usual but I did think it was an opportunity to look after Luke Thompson and Kaide Ellis, and in the same breath getting some more minutes into some of the bench lads who want those minutes so it was a good night for lots of reasons.”
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In some ways, is it a good thing that you can say there are still areas you can work on?
“Yeah definitely. We would always look at areas where we could improve, what we’ve learnt from the game, even things we’ve done well, making sure we do it for longer and under more pressure. The season is about learning so we’ll take plenty from tonight, the individuals from within their own performances but also the team as well.”
The Warriors are in pole position to win the League Leaders’ Shield next week…
“We’d love to win it. I think it’s one of them, the team that wins it thinks it’s marvellous and everyone else moves on really quickly. Now we’re in the position, we’d love to win it, it’s a trophy you can be really proud of when it comes but you’ve got to move on quick after it but, the fact is, Salford are going to come here and play, they always do.
“We always have really good games with Salford. We have, like everyone else, got a lot of respect for how they approach the game and how Paul (Rowley) sets his team up and the individuals within that squad as well. We’ve not spoken about it yet, but in the back of my mind I’m well aware that Salford would love to come here and get a win, it’s important for their own season and I’m certain it’ll be an entertaining game, that’s for sure.”
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Are Salford one of the more difficult sides to face in terms of how you prepare for them?
“They are different but you’ve probably got to be aware of a different threat compared to your typical Super League team. You can certainly prepare for them but it is a little bit more varied what you come up against but you still base it on a good work ethic and they’ve probably got the best kicker in the competition (in Marc Sneyd), so you can prepare but at the end of the day you’ve got to deliver when it matters and that’s what it’ll come down to on Thursday night. I think Paul has consistently done a fantastic job with Salford.”
Liam Byrne played 45 minutes after being an unused sub last week…
“Sometimes you can look at a player’s minutes for a game in isolation but really it’s trying to manage him through the season as well. I was aware I didn’t end up using him last week even though he’s been playing well, we wanted more threat with the ball (against Hull KR last week) which Patrick (Mago) brings, but I thought Liam was very tidy on both sides of the ball tonight. He’ll be better for the minutes. Likewise, Patrick played a bit more minutes than regular as did Tyler (Dupree), so it’s about trying to get the balance out from game to game with a view to the long-term as well.”
