Matt Peet and Adrian Lam open up on mutual admiration as praise shared ahead of semi-final clash

There’s plenty of admiration between Matt Peet and Adrian Lam, and both had plenty of praise for one another ahead of their side’s second successive Super League semi-final clash.

Peet’s Wigan and Lam’s Leigh square off at The Brick Community Stadium on Friday night with a place in next weekend’s Grand Final at stake, just as they did this time last year.

On that occasion, the Warriors romped to a 38-0 win over the Leopards and marched on to Old Trafford, where they got the job done against Hull KR to seal a historic quadruple.

This time around, Leigh make the trip across the borough having already beaten their nearest and dearest twice in 2025, and having finished third, higher than ever before in Super League.

‘It was a privilege to work with him, he supported me and still does’

Warriors head coach Peet honed his craft under Lam, holding a role as an assistant during the Papua New Guinean’s reign at the helm of Wigan.

Having first watched Lam playing for his boyhood club towards the end of his teenage years, Peet got the chance to learn from the same man at close quarters, and insists that’s something he’ll always be grateful for.

When asked what he’d learned from that time working with Lam during his pre-match press conference earlier this week, Peet explained: “The balance between trying to improve players technically and tactically whilst supporting and understanding them as people.

“Lammy does a great job of that, which is why he manages to get the best out of his players. He’s an experienced coach who understands you can’t treat every player the same.

“That’s something I’ve tried to learn from him, but there’s so much stuff to know. It was a privilege to work with him, he supported me and still does.

“I think he is obviously very experienced, he has worked with world-class teams as a player and a coach, and he understands when to turn up the intensity and when to back off and allow the players space and time.

“I think it’s clear that every team he has coached has enjoyed playing for him.”

‘Matty’s done a great job there over the last couple of years and there’s certainly no shortage of coaches there that are quality’

Lam‘s stint as Wigan boss came between 2019 and 2021. First appointed as an interim, he was then handed the reins permanently following Shaun Edwards’ u-turn on his decision to become head coach.

Leading the Warriors to the Super League Leaders’ Shield in 2020, Lam’s side lost the Grand Final to St Helens in agonising circumstances behind closed doors during the COVID-19 Pandemic as Jack Welsby grabbed the winning try after the final hooter.

He departed at the end of the 2021 campaign, and was appointed as Leigh’s head coach ahead of the following season.

On Peet, he said: “He was learning along the way.

“I think his understanding of the Wigan system having come through with the junior programmes and systems there (is great).

“Anyone that’s come through a system from scratch is certainly in a better position than most coaches, and at the time, we had some really good coaches there – Sean O’Loughlin, Matt Peet, John Winder.

“They were all contributing to the success of the club.

“Now, they’ve got (Paul) Deacon that’s come in and Tommy Leuluai that’s added to that.

“Matty’s done a great job there over the last couple of years and there’s certainly no shortage of coaches there that are quality.”