Warriors boss Matt Peet vows ‘there’s more in us yet’ ahead of Grand Final showdown

The 39-year-old will lead the side out at Old Trafford on Saturday evening in just his second season in charge of the club - having won the Challenge Cup last campaign and claiming this year’s League Leaders’ Shield.

A dominant 42-12 victory over Hull KR secured Wigan’s first appearance at the Theatre of Dreams since 2018 - having played the 2020 final against St Helens in Hull behind-closed doors - to set up a mouth-watering clash against Catalans Dragons.

It was an impressive semi-final display that included an early 18-0 lead inside 12 minutes, before milestone man Liam Marshall completed his hat-trick in the second 40, alongside tries from Jai Field (2), Abbas Miski and Toby King on his final home appearance on loan from Warrington.

And Peet believes there’s still more from his outfit as he hopes to see the best performance of the season in Manchester against the Dragons.

“We’re excited. We spoke a lot about it being something that we’ve worked all year to get to, so we have to embrace it and enjoy it,” Peet said.

“There’s times where we’ve got to work really hard and concentrate and perform, but there’s also times where we can enjoy the ride and enjoy the different things that the week brings to us.

“We’re happy with the form we’re in. We’re happy with the way we’re building and we still feel there’s more in us yet.

“Hopefully we can learn a little bit from last week and we learned from the Leigh game. Hopefully our best performance is ahead of us.”

Superstar Bevan French was crowned 2023 Steve Prescott Man of Steel during Super League’s annual end-of-season ceremony on Tuesday evening.

The Australian speedster finished the regular season with the most assists in the campaign - 30 - alongside 17 tries as he shifted into the halves to partner Harry Smith midway through the year.

He beat fellow nominees Jack Welsby and Tom Johnstone of St Helens and Catalans to the prestigious award, and became the first Wigan player to win it since Sam Tomkins in 2012.

On the field, Peet insists the consistent spine has played a part in the team’s success, with French having started the year initially on the wing before the experiment that saw him move to stand-off.

“I think we’ve benefitted from having a settled spine and a settled half-back combination,” Peet admitted.

“It’s one thing about getting the right people in the right positions, but it’s also about the work that you get done on the training field, the meeting room, reviewing games and previewing games.

“Those combinations can grow together and I think that’s what we’ve benefited from with Bevan and Harry and the rest of the spine, and obviously the work that Tommy Leuluai does with them.

“We have a lot of trust in that spine.”