Wigan Warriors boss Matt Peet previews Leigh Leopards derby - 'We'll have to be very good'
Wigan Warriors boss Matt Peet believes Thursday’s latest edition of the Battle of the Borough against Leigh Leopards has ‘all the ingredients’ to be another classic encounter between the two neighbours.
The Warriors host the Leopards in a fixture that continues to grow in stature, with both clubs widely tipped to be in the upper echelons of Super League by the time the play-offs roll around.
Peet is under no illusion of the challenge that Adrian Lam’s side poses, describing Leigh as one of the competition’s outstanding teams.
"They’re a very good team and have been for some time now,” Peet said.
“They’re an established top-end Super League side, expected to be in big games, and within that, they’ve got some of the outstanding players in the competition.
"Over the last few years, they have been one of the outstanding teams in Super League. I think they’ve got some of the best players in the competition. They’re players we’ve got a huge amount of respect for, and we’ll have to be very good."
The Battle of the Borough games, of course, come with added edge, given the close proximity of both clubs – less than 10 miles separate the two stadiums.
And with Leigh having established themselves as a top-six Super League club in recent years, that has only seen the Battle of the Borough games take on greater significance.
“I think you’d have to say that with the locality,” Peet said when asked about the rivalry.
"We’re playing each other in big, intense, important games. There’s obviously a local rivalry and certainly a lot of respect.
“Rivalries are pretty impossible for me to comment on and compare, but I think the intensity of the game is right up there with anything we face in a year, so that’s what we’re preparing for.
"They’re an outstanding club. Arguably, they are our closest and most local team, same borough, but it is fantastic for the borough and for Super League that they’ve built this level of consistency.
“They’ve always been a proud club, but the big games they’ve played in and the performances they’ve delivered, plus some of the talent they’ve attracted – I just think the quality of the games has brought the excitement around it, not just the fact that we’re local.”
Thursday’s clash is expected to draw a strong crowd at the Brick Community Stadium, with both sides hoping to lay down an early marker for what is to come as the campaign progresses.
"I’m sure it will be (a great game),” Peet added. “It has got all the ingredients of a tough and intense Super League fixture. It will be a good crowd, obviously the locality brings the excitement around it, and the quality of players on show.”
Wigan: Jai Field, Zach Eckersley, Adam Keighran, Liam Marshall, Bevan French, Harry Smith, Ethan Havard, Brad O’Neill, Luke Thompson, Junior Nsemba, Liam Farrell, Kaide Ellis, Sam Walters, Patrick Mago, Ollie Partington, Jack Farrimond, Sam Eseh, Tom Forber, Taylor Kerr, Lukas Mason, Dayon Sambou.
Leigh: Keanan Brand, Tesi Niu, Umyla Hanley, Josh Charnley, Adam Cook, Lachlan Lam, Joe Ofahengaue, Edwin Ipape, Robbie Mulhern, Frankie Halton, Owen Trout, Isaac Liu, Jacob Alick-Wiencke, Matt Davis, Liam Horne, Bailey Hodgson, Innes Senior, Gareth O’Brien, Jack Hughes, Andrew Badrock, Ryan Brown.