Wigan Warriors coach Matt Peet delivers verdict on Hull KR win with pleasing aspect detailed

The Warriors ended Hull KR’s unbeaten start to the season thanks to a 28-12 win at Sewell Group Craven Park on Friday night .

Wigan trailed 12-6 at the break, but the Warriors scored second half tries through Jake Wardle, Harry Smith, Jai Field and Abbas Miski to take the two points back over the Pennines.

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Peet paid tribute to both clubs for making the game a great spectacle, whilst detailing his side’s desire to be brave with the ball - even when things were perhaps not going their way.

“I thought Hull KR owned the start, we owned the finish,” Peet said.

“Hull KR lost at least one to injury, and I was pleased we continued to manage to be brave with the ball, but credit to them, they started the game really intense and really physical, there’s a lot to like about their performance as well.

“There were two proud teams who want to compete. If you like at Waerea-Hargreaves, he’s probably been the best starting front-rower over the last couple of decades and I think it brings the best out of their players and the opposition.

“That’s quality rugby league when there are sets of forwards trying to earn meterage and then there’s quality players like (Peta) Hiku, Jai (Field), Bevan (French) and Harry (Smith) - and that’s what the game is all about really. I think there were times today when their experience was evident, we can probably learn a bit from that.”

Hull KR started the game in a physical manner and threw a lot at Wigan’s defence in the first 40 - with Peet acknowledging that his side could’ve been more than just six points behind at the half-time interval.

“I knew it could’ve been more, yeah,” Peet said.

“Sometimes you are smacking teams and we’re only 4-0 up sometimes so (I’ve been there myself). They do it to a lot of teams, they win land and they front-load their energy and everything they do to try and win field dominance which is a great way to play the game, but we probably had a little more legs.

“We knew that Hull KR start games really physically and the kind of players they’ve got, they’re at their best when they’re fresh, and some of the players we’ve got are at their best as the game goes on, so they’ve got a habit of starting games really well and we probably hung it at times there, but the fact was at half-time if we could just tidy up a few areas, then we could probably come home and get the two points. The scoreboard doesn’t reflect the game by a long shot.”

Next up for the Warriors is a mouth-watering derby against St Helens at a sold-out Brick Community Stadium on Good Friday,.