Peet: Liked the Effort

  • Matt Peet spoke to the press following Wigan’s 12-14 win over Huddersfield Giants.
  • Peet: “Our performance wasn’t our best, but I thought we handled the situation well.”
  • Two tries from Bevan French and a try from Jake Wardle secured the victory for the Warriors.

Head Coach Matt Peet says his side ‘needed a win like that’ following a hard fought Betfred Super League victory over Huddersfield Giants.

Bevan French scored twice and Jake Wardle scored once as the Warriors ran out 12-14 winners at the John Smith’s Stadium in a tightly contested affair.

“To come here and get two points is satisfying, it’s a difficult place to come,” Peet said, “Our performance wasn’t our best. You don’t get many pretty games when you come here and it certainly wasn’t but I thought we handled the situation well. We weren’t always in control, but I liked the way we played in terms of effort areas.”

He added: “They complete high and kicked well, sit behind that and it takes a lot out of you. I thought we looked quite comfortable in our defence and I was happy with how connected we looked there.

“We won’t get too high tonight. It’s a decent performance, probably the kind of win we’ve needed but attention shifts quite quickly.”

The Warriors were able to pounce on mistakes made by Huddersfield for two tries, with Peet saying that sort of tough win is something that his side needed: “That was the strategy the lads came up with, bought into and it paid off. I think we needed this kind of victory. That’s the game we expected and the players were prepared for.”

Jake Wardle managed to score against his former side, going over on 25 minutes for Wigan’s second, capitalizing on a spill from a Huddersfield player to get his second of the season.

“He’s a quality player and he’s settled in really well. I think he feels valued here and I think there’s much more in him. He seems to be enjoying himself, he’s got a smile on his face and a spring in his step. I think he’s going to be a good player for a good few years here.”

Peet stated he has no fresh injury concerns following the game: “The lads look fit, you walk in there they look like they could play another game to be honest.

“I just praised our conditioning and medical staff. We’ve been fortunate to turn out a similar squad. The communication that goes between the players and the staff is paying off. Hopefully that will stand us in good stead this year. “

Friday 17 March 2023