Wigan Warriors coach delivers honest play-off verdict as business end of season nears
Wigan Warriors head coach Matt Peet
Wigan Warriors boss Matt Peet expects some good teams to miss out on this year’s Super League play-offs, and insists that momentum is more important than where you end up on the ladder with the business end of the season fast approaching.
Among a plethora of other major honours, the Warriors have won both the League Leaders’ Shield and Grand Final in each of the last two seasons.
Both of those campaigns ended with superb runs of form, winning their last 11 Super League games in 2023 and then their last eight in 2024, including play-off matches.
But Peet and his side have been on the wrong end of play-off heartbreak under his tutelage, too.
In 2022, they stumbled into the play-offs having lost two of their last five games in the ‘regular’ season, and were then stunned at home by Leeds Rhinos in the semi-finals.
Wigan Warriors coach delivers honest play-off verdict as business end of season nears
This term, with six games remaining of the ‘regular’ season, Wigan are three competition points clear of Leigh in third having taken advantage of a slip-up from the Leopards this weekend.
Adrian Lam’s side were beaten by Leeds on Thursday night, and watched on 24 hours later as the Warriors claimed a 24-18 win at Warrington Wolves to rub salt into the wounds.
After that win, Warriors head coach Peet said: “I think the competition as a whole is great, and the teams that miss out on the play-offs this year, the quality is as good as I’ve ever known, I think some good teams are going to miss out.
“Some years, it’s almost been four (teams) and then a case of who makes the numbers up, but think any team that gets in the play-offs this year will fancy it.
“I think momentum this time of year is almost more important than where you finish.”
The Cherry and Whites host table-toppers Hull KR at The Brick Community Stadium on Friday night in a crunch clash, knowing that a defeat would more than likely kill any hopes they harbour of retaining the League Leaders’ Shield.
Victory against the Robins though would see the deficit reduced to just two competition points heading into the run-in.
Peet continued: “A team could finish fifth on a winning run and really fancy it, and they’d be tough to beat in a semi-final or whatever it may be.
“There’s a lot of competition for places (across Super League), and second, first, third… it’s no different.”
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