Wigan Warriors: Matty Peet pleased by how his side maintained their intensity against Salford Red Devils

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Matty Peet says he was pleased by how Wigan Warriors maintained their intensity in the 30-12 victory over Salford Red Devils.

His side scored five tries in a dominant second half, with Bevan French going over for a hat-trick.

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Peet was happy with how his team coped against the Red Devils.

He said: “You can’t underestimate the intensity in the first half and the quality of both teams.

Matty PeetMatty Peet
Matty Peet

“Credit to Salford, they invested heavily in their defence and forced us into errors, so it’s not just a matter of us playing poor then playing well, it was a game where both teams went toe to toe, and we were just able to maintain it for longer.

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“We did expect a tight match, because they are a physical team, and their backline is up there in quality with anyone else’s.

“There were a few things in the first half, I think we played laterally too early in sets and tries to unleash some of our speed without going forward first, so it didn’t quite come off.

“At the start of the second half, we were a bit more direct and a little bit more patient, which meant when we did move the ball there was a little bit more space to play.”

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While French and Jai Field were two of the players to claim the headlines after the match, Peet believes there are plenty of his players in his squad who played a key role in the victory.

“It’s brilliant to watch (French and Field) as a coach and as rugby league people,” he added.

“I was asked about how lucky we are to have them, and it’s true to some extent, but I also think they appreciate our competition and the English supporters, so it works both ways.“It’s not we’re all indebted to these two lads, we are doing a lot of work to make them happy away from the game and improve them. That’s what it’s all about, it’s a two-way process.

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“There’s a lot of people contributed to that performance, I thought Ethan Havard was outstanding, if you want to look at someone who turned the game around.

“The forwards decide who wins, and the backs decide by how many. You always have to look at the middle of the field first, and if you win that battle then the players who you talk about, who are exceptional talents, get the chance to show what they can do.”

Peet also provided an update on Liam Byrne, who didn’t return after leaving the field of play.

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“He didn’t come off for a head test but then he reported something to the doctors,” he explained.

“He took a bang and failed his test so couldn’t go back on. We picked up a few tonight, so let’s hope it’s not too bad.”