Peet: Pride in the badge
- Matt Peet offered his thought as Wigan took a strong win against Toulouse on Friday night.
- Peet: “The players, the fans and the staff of the Club – there is a real sense of pride in the badge at the moment.”
- FT | Wigan Warriors 40-6 Toulouse Olympique.
Matt Peet said he was pleased with the performance as Wigan beat Toulouse but praised the involvement of the Club and fans after an outstanding night at Robin Park Arena and the DW Stadium.
“I’m really pleased but the performance is just a small part of it,” he said. “The atmosphere, the momentum we’re building around the Club, the fan village, the Armed Forces v Police game, in and around the ground – there’s a lot of great things being done by the Club at the moment led by Kris Radlinski and Ian Lenegan.
“The players, the fans and the staff of the Club – there is a real sense of pride in the badge at the moment. The fan village over at Robin Park Arena took around 5 hours to set up, it’s our training facility every other day so the Community staff that we have, everyone mucks in. There’s that team first mentality which runs through not only the squad but through the Club. That’s what we wanted to do, that’s what the vision was.”
On the game, he said: “It was about the start wasn’t it. Sylvain (Houles) said that every game is like their Grand Final, so we had to be prepared for the best of them and if we dipped our toe in any way, they would’ve sensed that. It was a really tricky fixture with the talent they’ve got spread across the team, but I thought we started with an intensity that can set us apart. We played fast, with intensity and the effort, that is what got us the win in the end and I thought the start was crucial.”
Peet also spoke highly of Abbas Miski, who scored four tries on the right wing: It’s testament to his hard work, it’s not an easy Club to come to and fit in straight away, the expectations are high here and Abbas has come to terms with that. His effort away from the game has been excellent; he’s a popular member of the squad. He’s earned the right to get more opportunities, he’s pushed his way forward in that back line and I thought tonight was a great reward for his hard work.”
Peet summarised: “It’s really important that we got our home form going again, got the fans on the journey with us and they were more than on the journey. I think the fans were the star of the show, not just in the stadium but around the ground too, there’s a great vibe. We have a responsibility as performance staff and the first team to give the town a team to be proud of.”
