Lee Briers makes bold claim on Wigan boss Matt Peet
Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com.
Warrington legend and current Brisbane Broncos transition coach Lee Briers believes Wigan boss Matt Peet has the ability to become one of the best coaches in the world.
Briers, 44, made the switch Down Under ahead of the 2023 campaign, having enjoyed last season working alongside Peet and Sean O’Loughlin as assistant coach at the Warriors.
Peet has been a part of the Wigan history for more than 13 years, working in a range of coaching roles before being appointed as head coach ahead of 2022.
He was also named Coach of the Year at the annual Super League awards in 2022, and has led Wigan to eight wins in 10 to sit at the top of the table so far in 2023.
A special guest on Sky Sports’ coverage ahead of Wigan’s clash with Hull at the MKM Stadium, Briers paid tribute to Peet ahead of the Round 11 fixture.
Lee Briers makes huge statement on Matt Peet
On Peet, Briers told Brian Carney: “A guy who really put trust in me to come to Wigan and kind of put my stamp on the Wigan attack and really give me the confidence to go and say this is how we’re going to do it.
“Matty is going to be, if not the best coach in the world, he’s going to be there and thereabouts.
“He’s just a sensational coach who gave me a lot of confidence to go and test myself in Australia and I can’t thank him enough.”
Lee Briers impressed by Wigan
Peet guided Wigan to Challenge Cup glory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium over Huddersfield in his first year in charge, falling short to Leeds in the semi-finals of the Super League competition.
His first head coach role came in 2011, when he was appointed as Wigan’s Under-18s boss, having previously worked as Under-20s assistant coach.
He has also worked as the club’s performance coach, head of youth performance and England academy assistant coach, working his way through the ranks.
Peet crossed codes to join Sale Sharks in 2018 as the club’s head of performance, before returning to the Warriors in 2019 as first team assistant coach.
Briers, who has helped Brisbane to a fine start in the NRL with seven wins from nine, has been impressed by what he has seen by his ex-club so far this year.
The side have lost just two games all year, and have recently claimed wins over St Helens and Warrington in Super League.
“Last year, it was building blocks for the club,” Briers commented.
“We were in a transition period and we put a lot in place at Wigan and are bearing the fruits of that now. It’s great to see that each year, they’re only going to get better.
“There’s things what the club do off the field that people don’t know about, it’s just sensational. And then you see it on the field, and it all comes under the culture kind of thing and they’re a joy to watch at the moment.”
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