Peet previews St Helens

• Matt Peet previews Friday night’s Super League derby against St Helens at the Totally Wicked Stadium.
• Peet: “They have a strong line up, are well coached and have been successful for years. There will be no surprises as we know what will be coming.”
• St Helens v Wigan Warriors, Friday 9 June, Totally Wicked Stadium, (8pm K.O.).

Matt Peet spoke to the press on Tuesday afternoon ahead of Friday night’s derby with St Helens at the Totally Wicked Stadium.

Reflecting on Wigan’s Magic Weekend defeat to Catalans Dragons, Peet said: “We got the basics wrong. Defensively we were way off, we allowed them to get around the field way too easily and if you do that against a team as good as Catalans then you’re going to be under pressure.”

Speaking on improvements, Peet added: “They may be simple and sound small, but they’re big things and not easy. It’s easy to speak about all these things, but the lads have got to do them.

“We have an honest group of players and staff so it doesn’t take long for people to put their hands up and share feelings. We’re all here to work together to make sure we respond this week.”

Wigan, who have not won at Saints since 2020, can complete the double over their rivals after winning the first meeting of the season at the DW Stadium on Good Friday.

Assessing Paul Wellens’ side, Peet said: “They have a strong line up, are well coached and have been successful for years. Mark Percival is a player who makes things tick and they have Tommy Makinson who has class. There will be no surprises as we know what will be coming.”

Speaking on the rivalry between Wigan and St Helens, Peet said: “Other teams like to think they’re our rivals, but really Wigan v Saints is by far the biggest game.

“It’s an exciting fixture regardless of what’s happened the week before. There’s a lot of work for us to do in training and in the video room, but we can’t wait to get last week out our system and to put in a much improved performance.”

Reflecting on the season so far, and the competitiveness of the Super League table, Peet said: “We are third in the league and still in the cup, so the facts speak for themselves. However, all that matters is how we played last week, and what we are aiming to do this week.

“It’s brilliant that the table is so tight and unpredictable at the minute, it’s exactly what the competition demands. Some teams have more strength and depth than others, but on their day anyone can beat anyone.”

Tickets for Friday night’s derby can be purchased HERE.